Cold War Wedlock
by Yuzume Mikien
Summary: "She shook her head, waves of blond hair swaying back and forth, "It didn't take long before I knew I was carrying his baby… You." De-anoned fill from Kink meme. Teenaged Unwed Mother in the 50's  Russia/Fem!America  Complete Summary inside.
1. Prologue

Hello Readers, Yuzume here. It seems that I'm an idiot who doesn't know when one has a case of writer's block the size of several years. I'm in college now, which doesn't make this any easier, but I've been haunting this site called a Kink Meme and found that it does the creative juices good to see all the potential prompts.

And sadly… when I could have been doing more important things, such as completing the other two stories that haven't quite died yet in this musty old bin of a brain I have, I started to fill a request. Shortly put this is the de-anoned story I've been posting on hetalia kink meme. For now the other two stories I have here are on hold… still, but it would be much appreciated if you all read this new story.

Summary: The request was for an AUish take on Fem!America being forced to get married during the late 50s when she gets pregnant with Alaska. Due to certain circumstances she gets married with none other than Mr. Soviet Union, or Russia as we know and love him. Cue crazy events surrounding the married couple expecting a kid, as well as potential "feelings". If you want more info on where this things going, check the link on my homepage for the request and the fill in meme form. (*cough,cough* I'd love comments there too, yeah?) RussiaxAmerica, yay! There's supposed to be fluff... eventually, right now it's just extremely historically realistic.

Disclaimer: I am a very poor college student, so of course I don't own anything except this computer doo-hikkie that records these words, which do actually belong to me.

Well, enough of that jazz.

Read and Review please! I am open to constructive criticism! Flames, on the other hand, aren't welcome.

Cold War Wedlock

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Cold War Wedlock: Prologue

December 25, 2010

The sight of brightly colored wrapping paper littering the carpet was a comforting sight to Emily F. Jones as she walked through the halls of her Virginia home. Fitting her unusually large family in the house had always been a hassle, especially on Christmas morning, but she had managed and so did her fifty children. The remnants of the morning's events were still strewn across the ground, but she didn't quite mind; she'd clean later. At the moment, her mind was elsewhere, in the midst of locating all fifty states spread out throughout the house, enjoying this year's Christmas gifts, or, in some instances, ignoring them like the plague. The floor was practically empty as Emily's children had long since dispersed to other parts of the estate. The sounds of several of her states roughly yet playfully yelling at each other from the basement entertainment room told her that they were spending Christmas just as she wanted, together and as a family. Outside the calls and cheers from some of her other children gave away the location of the rest of her family currently in the midst of a snowball fight; the only type of civil war the nation would allow in her household.

Bypassing the paper thrown about, Emily exited her home, walking out into the cold Christmas day. The scene before made her brought a smile to her lips as she found a relatively unbalanced war of snow afoot. With the two teams made of the North and the South, it was painfully obvious to the nation who was winning the battle, as she caught a glimpse of Minnisota make a perfect shot at his brother's face, to Louisiana's alarm. Aside from the almost violent game, laughter and a few light curses could be heard at the US household. Everyone was enjoying their Christmas day, especially before each of state had to return home for the rest of the holidays. New Years was not a day that they could spend as a family.

The sight of one of her youngest children sitting away from the group on a snow covered garden bench brought Emily away from the game, drawing her over with curiosity. She smiled, sneaking up to the young state, barely looking a day over twelve before popping up behind him and ruffling his short platinum locks.

"Whatcha doing kiddo?" America said with a laugh, winking at the young boy as she slid beside him on the bench. "Why you out here and not playing with the others? I know you can throw one hell of a snowball."

Cerulean eyes, not unlike her own, found their way to hers without comment. Her son sighed, lifting a travel book that he held tightly between two gloved hands. "Reading."

Emily drew an arm around her child and laughed, "Well, you are a man of many words, Andrei." She glanced at the towers of Red Square that graced the cover of the book and the large font that accompanied the image. She wasn't a bit surprised to find the boy already reading the travel book on his father's nation. "You excited about the trip?"

Andrei Ivanovich Jones or Alaska as he was geographically known shrugged but after a moment of hesitation nodded. He closed the book slowly before speaking, "I guess."

" 'I guess,'? Well I can sure tell you liked your Christmas gift." Emily grinned and held her son closer, just in time to avoid a snowball hurled by an irritated Texas, currently cursing the existence of ice and anything under 70 degrees. "It's not everyday you get an all expenses paid trip to Russia for two weeks. Some people would pay anything just to get a chance like that."

She didn't hide her pout when Andrei pulled away from her, as preteens have a knack of doing when with their parents. Andrei looked at the nation in thought but whatever was on his mind remained there without words to express them. As the boy looked back at the book cover his hands traced over its surface. America watched her son slowly and exhaled, looking back onto the snowball war. Alaska had always been a thinker, like his father. She allowed silence to envelop them, giving out a few hoots and hollers when a great shot was made or when a Mississippi got Maine between the thighs, bringing the Northeastern state to the ground. After a few minutes of watching, she turned once more to her youngest son, poking his cheek before giving it a quick kiss. Alaska cringed and wiped his face, voicing a whiny, "Mom." In reply.

"So what's on your mind, eskimo?" Emily queried lightly, giggling when Andrei rolled his eyes at the old nickname. She wasn't going to show it, but she was slightly concerned with this year's gift choice. If she had known her son would react like this she'd have tried to have chosen something else the Northern state would've enjoyed instead. "You don't want to go?"

The young… well youngish mother found her son swiftly shaking his head. He gazed at her, turning whatever he was thinking over in his head. Alaska was worried about something, but as was the relatively quiet boy's nature, it would take quite a bit to get him to say what he wanted. Emily looked back, "Well?"

Normally able to resist, Andrei shrugged again but his mouth did come to open as a few words came out. "I… want to go."

"Alright!" Emily cheered giving her boy another squeeze, "So what's with the long face? You know, your dad's gonna be there. I mean Russia's definitely not as awesome as home, but trust me, your pop's pretty excited that you are finally coming to visit."

"Yeah… but…" Her son started again.

"But?"

"Goddamnit Iowa! Ya'll trying to kill me!" For a moment the two were drawn away from their conversation at the sight of Big Tim, also known as Texas, on the ground with a hand covering an eye.

The subject of his attention rolled his own blue orbs while giving New Jersey a high five, "That's for dissing the corn Tim! I can do a lot more than grow it, ya better remember that!"

Emily could only look aside in slight irritation before catching the southern state throwing himself onto Iowa in a matter of seconds. A few yells promoting a fight rung out before she was up on her feet. "Hey! You two better not start anything, you hear? What did I tell you about getting into fights? You won't be able to throw a snowball, by the time I'm done with the both of you."

Their mother's voice was enough to get both boys to settle down. They knew that under their mother's roof it was suicide to even try bypassing the woman representing the world's superpower. After each state returned to their appropriate side and the game started once more, Emily returned to her seat and turned to Alaska again.

Andrei had finally found the urge to speak.

"Why now?"

Emily gave her son a confused look. "Now?"

This time, the state continued to speak. Completely overlooking another random squabble among states he began, "Why… Why let me go now? I… I… mean, before… before you wouldn't even let me see a picture of him, let alone let me talk about him."

She allowed a moment of silence to come between them. Emily allowed herself to frown, but it disappeared as she tried to simply explain. "Andrei… You know as much as I do why." She had to sigh again, but smiled, "Things are different now… the danger isn't there anymore, you know? Not all the ice has melted just yet, but I think it's safe, no, I know it's safe to let these types of things happen. Look, I let all my kids know and meet their fathers. You're not an exception, got that? I wasn't going to hide you in an igloo all your life."

The nation's explanation wasn't enough. "But mom…" Alaska glanced away, unsure whether or not he should voice it or not, "It's been so… long. Wasn't there a time… Hadn't there been a time… before?"

"I don't think I'm following you, hun." Emily replied.

"Couldn't I have seen him earlier? Was I really born during a time when you and dad… actually hated each other?" Alaska took a glance at the book in his hands before continuing, "If so… why did you have me, if you knew whose child I was?"

The United States could only gaze at her youngest son before rubbing the back of her neck. Her child watched her, awaiting a response of some kind, but he could barely catch her mumble," God… you're at… that stage already?"

Emily readjusted herself to fully look at her state in silence. She seemed hesitant to say anything, but the subject felt like Pandora's box, something she was fearful to open. Her son looked twelve, but he had been alive for much longer. The speed of his development was different from his brothers and sisters, basically due to the events during his earlier years. Each state had aged differently, and after fifty, America was by now able to notice how much the actions of her boss, her government, and her country as a whole affected the rate of her children's growth. It had taken Alaska a few more years than most, but curiosity had finally hit him after two decades of maturing since the end of the Cold War.

"Andrei…" Emily pouted before she kept on. "I need you to understand this, alright kiddo? Me and your dad, well actually, all of us nations, have never truly hate each other. You got to think. With all the wars that go on and with alliances and enemies changing all the time, love and hate, it just doesn't work very well with our kind, you know?"

Blue meeting blue, the mother couldn't tell if Alaska actually comprehended what she was trying to say. "If I told you that I hated your father, I would be lying to you, Andrei. If I told you that I loved your father, it just wouldn't be the truth either. You get what I'm saying?" She noticed her son giver her a lost look, before cocking his brow in confusion. Exasperated, America sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Look, it ain't much of an awesome explanation, but I'm trying, ok?"

She had to look away and break her son's gaze. How could she explain a war over ideologies? How could she get a state, isolated as they were, to understand the complex way relationships were viewed on a foreign level? Turning to watch the snowball war again, Emily took a moment to think it over. She rubbed her hands together, blowing into them for warmth. Allowing a few minutes to pass, she finally faced her second to youngest state again.

"Ok, how about this?" She crossed her arms and nodded, already accepting her decision. "Let's just start from the beginning, that's how this'll work."

Alaska gave his nation a look that boasted a hybrid emotion of incredulity and skepticism all at once. While Emily had been attempting to develop the answer to his questions, she had been smiling the entire time as if it had been some joke. Was she even taking this entire thing seriously? He exhaled through his nose and glanced down at the cover of the travel guide. Flipping through a few pages, he stopped at an image of Stalin before his mother reached out and poked him on the forehead.

"Hey, hey, you need pay attention Mister. I'm doing this for your benefit." Emily started again, giving her trade-mark pout. "It'll be so uncool if you didn't listen to a word your own mother says."

Rolling his cerulean eyes, Andrei got to his feet. He shrugged. If she wasn't going to take this seriously, he really didn't have much of the patience to listen. How did the world view America nowadays, anyway? There didn't seem to be a point in sitting through some story about his mom saving the day… again.

America watched in shock, "Whoah, Andrei, I told you I was going to start from the beginning didn't I?" Standing the nation rushed in front of her departing child. "You're not leaving, are you?"

The young state simply voiced his mind. "Mom, I know the story already, ok? You and dad got into this big fight over who had the better government, right? The Awesome Heroic Capitalism vs Big Bad Communism, is that it? It's not that hard not to know what was going on during that time; I've read the history books, you know?"

"Well, I wrote the history books, Alaska." His mother had her hands on her hips as she stared at him, "And I'm telling you, it isn't the whole story. This is the story about you. Only you. Not capitalism, not communism. Just what the hell happened between your dad and me, and why you were born as far away from Russia as I could get you. God, I even had to live with him at one point. Now that wasn't awesome at all!"

Alaska had perked up at the last part; his attention snagging on the second to last statement his parent had made. Seeing that he was caught, America began to reel him in. "That wasn't in the history books mind you. Hell would have to freeze over before someone made me admit living with the Commie during the Cold War." She stepped forward and gently pushed him back down on the cold bench. "My bosses kept this whole thing confidential, see? And they've kept it confidential since. Goddamnit, if that got out through wikileaks, I might just nuke the bastards. Of course, if word got out about anthropomorphic nations running about, that'd be worse."

As she sat down, America crossed her legs before returning to the topic at hand. "I had you so that I could protect you, got that? I never planned to get pregnant, but when I did, well, there really weren't many options to choose from back in the late 50s and early 60s."

"The conformist 1950s, the nuclear family, the working husband and father, the stay-at-home wife and mother; don't ask me what our people were smoking back then, but they really thought it would help stop the spread of Communism. All I know was that I was becoming one hell of a workaholic and let's just say my boss wasn't very happy with me stepping out of the conformity of the time. By the 60s, I was done being the "domestic" woman, but not after I had had you as well as your little sister, and my relationship with your father had soured something nasty. Other countries weren't very content with my choices either, but that's what you get when all your bosses get trigger happy over any faint idea of Communism." Emily began to laugh at this and continued laughing to the disbelief of her son.

Andrei, giving his mother his full attention, could only stare. He had returned to his quiet demeanor, merely watching his mother with wide blue eyes. Emily returned his look with further description, "It's funny now, but back then, I was freaking out. Another kid, since what- 1912? While the rest of the world was just ready for me or Ivan to press the big red button and bring about the end of the world? Some timing right?" Emily's smile disappeared by the time she continued, "Within a year, I'd be sending mere boys to Vietnam to fight Communism. Here I was making babies while sending the babies of my own citizens out to get killed in the jungles of Vietnam."

After a silent pause, Emily spoke, "The thing is, I didn't want to hate your dad, but I hated him. I feared him, I was threatened by him. That's what our people felt, that's what I began to feel." Sighing, the normally light-hearted country looked down at her hands, "I was tired, we were all tired after the Second World War, but I got cocky. I wanted to make sure that everyone else recognized that I was playing with the big boys. I wanted to end the war any way I could, even if it meant creating a weapon I couldn't control. What I didn't know was that even if I was a woman, the others weren't going to sit back and just let me take the spotlight, especially the Soviet Union. He had changed too, your father. There was a time that I had known that he wasn't such a bad guy, but after the war, he was just different. He wanted everyone to agree with him. He wanted a world that truly recognized him. His bosses used Communism as a way to get that recognition. Your dad began to see red, and lots of it, and it got to the point that he couldn't see a thing if it wasn't covered in red."

Her normally bright eyes had clouded over, and for a moment, Alaska felt concerned over his mother's sudden change. The stories of his childhood had always been filled with an array of superheroes beating a common enemy, who represented a single complete evil. Yet for the first time, the state could feel the story graying, showing neither black nor white. In his mother's words, there didn't seem to be a hero… or an enemy.

"Argh, that's not what you wanted to hear, is it? Hearing about how us nations are all just a bunch of self-centered, narcissistic fools, getting into wars just for the power, the influence." Emily licked her lips and reached over to ruffle the state's platinum hair. She smiled, but even Alaska could tell that the expression was fake. "I wasn't expecting to get pregnant, when I slept with Russia. I had other things on my mind, such as how to avoid falling into an all out war with him, but still be able to deter his insistent need to force others to believe in him. The fiasco with South Korea and his brother hadn't worked out, and personally I really didn't want to shed more blood than need be. So… Behind everyone's backs, I did the only thing I thought would work to keep him from truly hating me to the point of wanting to destroy. I slept with him. I gave him all the recognition he could ever want and all the reasons not to directly attack the United States."

Shrugging, America stuck her tongue out, "Didn't really work out. He left me the next morning without saying good-bye." Her eyes looked at her son's as she curtly summed it up in one statement, "It was just cold political sex to him. I was still the Capitalist Pig, shoving lies down people's throats."

She shook her head, waves of blond hair swaying back and forth, "It didn't take long before I knew I was carrying his baby… You."

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Chap 1 end. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading. Please review because, trust me, that's what fuels and provokes the really busy college student to procrastinate on studies and write fanfiction instead.

I want to see how this story fares on , so even if I have chapter 2 completed, I'm not uploading it just yet… but you can find it on the kink meme. Ok, enough from me. Thanks again!


	2. Chapter 1

Hey readers. Thanks for the reviews so far. I have to apologize though, as reality hit hard again and I couldn't get to uploading this chapter. I wasn't trying to keep all the fic to myself, but I've been trying to write ahead enough in this story so that I don't end up getting stuck and not uploading anything for a while. I just want to plead for your patience. I'm a college student with not much free time on my hands, and an intense writing course this term, so trying to do some fic writing on the side, is difficult.

I'm still working on The White Amidst the Splattered Red and Faded Blue, as well, though it's not coming as well. There's just too much to do in life, and not enough hours in the day to get a good story going for a long period of time. I am grateful for the reviews, trust me, but please forgive me for the delayed uploads even if I might have chapter 3 finished, I'm working on chapter 4. I want to be ahead of the game you know, so that I don't end up completely falling behind in the fic as well as life itself. Haha.

Well, I've talked too much. You know what I don't own. So please enjoy and review again.

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Cold War Wedlock: Chapter 1

July 1, 1958

"Shit. Aw shit." America's voice came out loud and strong as she paced her bedroom clearly distraught. She ran both hands through her hair, mind not on the fact that she had just messed up the hair she had spent the passed thirty minutes to fix. The nation currently had an urgent thought racing through her head as she walked from one end of the room to the other before making her back to the calendar nailed to the wall at the entrance of the bedroom. Her cerulean eyes fell upon the dates again, and biting her bottom lip as her eyes fell on the date for the umpteenth time within the last fifteen minutes, she spun around in frustration, "Bullshit!"

She was late. A single week that signaled something far more dreadful than the monthly red wave itself.

She was never late. It was a given fact. Emily F. Jones, practically the United States of America, was never late with her monthly cycle. Normally she would have been able to predict it as soon as the time of the month came around, but with the all the work that had been going on, on Capital Hill, she had let the thought slip. She had completely forgotten, and now she was looking at seven days with no sign of the red flag. Crossing her arms over her chest, she frowned. Why had she missed her period? Stress? Exercise? No, she'd been late forty-eight times before, and always, she'd not see any blood until eight or so months later, and it wouldn't just be blood sliding out of her.

America dared to look at the calendar again, hoping to anything in the world that she had miss counted, that she had skipped a week and was looking at the wrong date.

But no.

Her luck just wouldn't cut it.

She was late one week.

Late, a sorry equivalent to being the oh-so-happy mother to be.

The nation sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Her mind was still battling with the thought, the truth, but the more she resisted, the more it came at her. "This can't be happening…" Falling to a squat she buried her face in her arms, "This is not happening."

While wallowing in her denial, the sound of the doorbell broke through her arms. Peeking out, she glared at nothing in particular, yelling a half-hearted, "Go away!" Before collapsing on her backside, her arms now encircling her knees. Emily sat there for a few moments, the doorbell persisting once, twice, three times, before she grudgingly dragged herself to her feet and downstairs to the front door.

"Hello?" The country greeted, before giving her trademark smile that seemed to make many a men melt in their places. It was returned by the young human man standing before her, as he held up a manila envelope.

"Morning, Ms. Jones. I do hope I'm not disturbing anything." The man replied, his voice warm with hints of his Southern descent.

Emily widened the gap of the door when she recognized the familiar face of one of her favorite members of the president's aid. The young man had been in the business of politics for only a few years, but already he had captured the nation's praise as well as her secret. It wasn't unusual for the higher government officials to know of Emily's existence, but the aid before her was different. Young as he was, Emily could feel an unusually high level of patriotism, a love for his country even after he found out it was embodied by a woman. It attracted the nation, forming a connection between them only a citizen and a country could have. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, it would later be shattered when Larson failed to return from Vietnam after willingly turning in his suit and tie for an army uniform. "Edward Larson, I was wondering where you ran off to?" She crossed her arms, but continued to smile, "What's buzzin, cuzzin?"

Edward Larson, or Eddie as Emily came to call him, returned the expression before handing the envelope to her. "Just a few documents I was told to send over for you to look over. My, you're starting to sound like one of those teenagers."

Sticking out her tongue, Emily gave him a skeptical look. "Like you weren't one?" They both laughed at this, as the woman opened the envelope in her hands. She slid out the stack of papers only to freeze as her eyes fell on the first page.

The young man's laughter weakened until it came to a full stop when finding the nation go deathly quiet. Eddie looked to Emily with a concerned expression, realizing that her face had suddenly lost its color. "Are you alright, Ms. Jones?"

His words were enough to snap Emily out of her trance gazing at the document in her hands. Exploding into an awkward laugh, America nodded, slipping the front page underneath its stack as if to hide it from view. "No, nothing's wrong…" The pause was long, unusual, "Just found out we might be having another… state. The Alaska Territory petitioned for statehood."

Of all the things he didn't know, Eddie Larson had yet to find out the identities of the states, the first of which he would meet being newborn Alaska several months later. He was smiling again in no time, not realizing what his nation was entailing. "Well, that makes 49 then, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"The sooner the better, don't we have an Air Force base up there? We'll need to establish some stronger protection to keep those Soviets from the new state then."

The man could not have realized just how large an impact his words had had on the mother-to-be, who had gone quiet again. This time, her grip had tightened around the stack of papers at his reference. He had no idea that he had just reminded America of an extremely important fact about the state on the way…

Such as the state's potential father.

Emily backed into her house, "Uh, hey Eddie, something just came up that I really need to attend to right now. We'll talk another time, k?"

It caught the aid by surprise but he nodded before receiving a quick "Bye." From the nation.

Turning into her house and shutting the door behind her, Emily bit down her tongue to keep herself from cursing. It was bad enough that she now clearly knew she was expecting, but it had gotten ten times worse when she recalled being seemingly chaste the entire year aside from one specific occasion with a Russian she refused to speak to.

America had to think this through.

What could she do?

What the hell could she say?

If the petition had already gotten through Congress why in the world hadn't she been informed? And if it did, did that mean her boss already knew about the state?

Her telephone rang.

Looking up from her place in the entry hall of her home, Emily headed for the phone, picking it up she greeted with a smile, as if she hadn't just been worrying her head off seconds before. "Good morning, Emily Jones speaking."

"Good morning Jones, I do hope I'm not disturbing anything…"

Dread sank to her stomach alongside the Russian-American baby she was carrying. "Mr. President! How are you, Ike?"

"…I need you in my office… Jones… now."

December 25, 2010

"You have no idea how close I was to pissing myself when I heard those words, kiddo. I thought I was going to die." Emily sighed and rubbed her face reliving the moment of stress for a second or two. "That old man, he was some tough cookie, strict military bum that he was."

Andrei sat in silence, currently absorbing what his mother had just explained. The state looked to be in the midst of shock and further confusion, his brows knitted in thought. He didn't break out of his state until his mother had abruptly stood up clapping her hands together.

"Ok, so that's the story. I'm freezing out here; let's say we go inside for some hot chocolate, huh? I have those mini marshmallows you love so much." The mother said with a grin before beginning to leave the bench the two had been sitting on.

Her son wasn't close behind, but instead of following he had grabbed her hand, "Wait, mom!"

Turning only slightly, America acknowledge her son, "What? I just saw North and South Dakota drag Cal by the ponytail into their ice fortress over there. You know how much California panics when surrounded by snow."

"But you never finished the story! I thought it was supposed to be about me?"

"It was about you." Emily replied. She walked into the fray of the ongoing snowball fight, and with a mere glance stopped the war without a word. "Playtime's over kids, let's head to the house for some hot chocolate. You're all gonna get colds out here."

There was a uniform "Awww." From many of the Northern states, while their southern siblings irritably, but quite willingly, began heading in the front door's direction, cursing winter in general and mumbling begrudgingly about a lost battle due to a clear field advantage. As the last of the states headed into the house, poor California stumbling behind as the feeling slowly returned to his frost-bitten legs, Alaska remained, staring at his parent in silence.

"Mom, you didn't finish the story!"

Already in the direction of the house, America sighed and crossed her arms, "I told you, I did. Besides it's too complicated from here on out, especially for a state, not to mention boring. There are no super heroes or nothing!" She put her arm around her child and started to escort him towards the front door, "Come on, I got 50 cups of hot chocolate to make and about 5 southern states to check for signs of hypothermia. The Dakotas thought it was funny to bury California, poor kid."

"But you never got to the part about dad." Andrei was clearly interested, pulling apart from his mom and standing in front of her. His azure eyes gazed sternly through long platinum locks. "What about when you were living with him?"

Emily pouted and shook her head, but her expression held a gentle understanding of the boy's persistence. Reaching over, she ruffled her son's hair, "Someone's curious. Ya'll look like your father when he's angry." There was a second of silence before the nation continued, "Fine, I'll tell you more, but after I defrosted everyone inside, ok?"

The look that she received mirrored her pout almost identically. Chuckling, America passed by her state into the house before getting an answer, "You better tell me more about dad next time."

"Not until I tell you about how I tried to marry your Uncles before your pop ruined the wedding."

Freezing the Northern state's eyes grew several sizes, "Wait, What!"

The parent nation only glanced back with a smile.

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Thanks all for reading. Please review.


	3. Chapter 2

Miss me? I hope there are still readers out there enjoying the story, I am aware of a few. Thanks for sticking through the wait. I was able to get through midterms and a couple of six page essays, so in celebration I finished this chapter. Yay! I have a project to do, but for now, I'll think about this fic for a couple of hours. I have so much work, haha.

Once again I plead for your everlasting patience, and am grateful for it. You have no idea how much I wish I could have all the time in the world to watch anime, read manga, make Pokemon sprites, and write/read fanfiction.

Enough from me. Here is the third part. It's not much, but it will get better. 12 pages on Socrates and Gilgamesh can only do so much for a brain.

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Cold War Wedlock: Chapter 2

December 26, 2010

12:35am

"Mom! You have to tell me more!" Alaska wasn't one of her begging states, but all of America's kids seemed to possess the skill at one time or another. The preteen state sat up defiantly on his end of the bed, refusing with every ounce of his being to go to sleep at his mother nation's command. Several of his older siblings grumbled in protest, sharing the bed with the small statured state. In the seven bedroom Virginian home, sharing rooms, let alone beds was common during the holiday season, to many of the more independent states' dismay. "Please!"

Hands on her hips, America gave her child a hard stare, "Andrei Ivanovich Alaska Jones, you better head to bed, mister. Are you trying to keep your brothers and sisters up?" A few groans in agreement came from other ends of the room. "Cal, Owen, Waverly, Hana, and you have a six o' clock flight home tomorrow morning."

Resisting those words, Andrei shook his head, "Not until you finish that story you were telling me!"

Emily rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to speak when she was over taken.

"What type of story, mom?" The dark skinned, Hawaii asked, slipping into the room from behind her, dressed in nothing but a bikini top and bottom, a strange attire the youngest state seemed to love wearing no matter what the weather.

"Do you still need to bedtime stories at this age, Alaska?" Waverly, also known as Washington, added, sitting up from her end of the bed. "It's called reading, you know?" The Northwestern state held up her copy of When Atlas Shrugged she was finishing from earlier that morning.

Alaska made a face, but his older male siblings were on her case faster than Alaska in reacting. "But listening to someone is so much easier." Oregon replied with a smug smile, tending to enjoy pushing his younger sister's buttons. He straightened up from the floor at the end of the bed in the room. In all, six states took up this room of the house. While Washington and Alaska got dibs on the bed, their brothers and sisters were camped around on the carpeted floor in sleeping bags. No one seemed to mind the conditions, specifically being that the group had been rotating since earlier that week. Now that Waverly and Andrei had found their place on the mattress, it was to the irritation to California, Oregon, Hawaii, and poor Idaho, that the two states notorious for their unusual sleeping habits were coupled together on the bed and were currently the only reason why they were all still awake.

"Will you just turn off the lights and get to bed already? Dios, I'm driving in the morning. It won't be my fault if I fall asleep at the steering wheel, the car loses traction on that damn slab of ice you Easterners call a road, and we end up flipping over into a ditch before the car bursts into flames killing us all." California growled from within his sleeping bag beside Oregon. He grunted when his northern brother leaned against him.

"You're such a drama queen, you know that? It's just a little ice!" Owen chuckled before tugging the sleeping bag off Cal without warning, revealing the dark-haired western state currently texting on his cell phone. "Mom, Cal is using his phone after hours!"

"You freaking tattletale!"

Releasing a frustrated sigh, their mother crossed her arms before calling, "Enough, enough! Geez, why, after nearly half a century of having all of you over for Christmas, you all still need to make it so damn hard putting you guys to sleep." The normally laid-back parent glared at her kids, "Lights out, all of you! I mean it! Cal turn that phone off, or I'm stepping on it. Waverly close that book, or I'm burning it- don't you dare bring up the Bill of Rights. Hana, honey, I know you're used to it, but your brothers aren't used to seeing you sleeping in a bathing suit so cover up, baby. Ida, I haven't heard anything from you, but you better be sleeping in the next fifteen minutes! You hear me Ida?"

Oregon crawled over California, overlooking nearly kneeing his sibling in the nether regions, to check on the status of their northern sister who had been quiet the entire time. "Mom, I think potato girl's asleep."

"I was, before you mocked me."

"Ooops, sorry sis."

"Oregon, please stop annoying your siblings and go to sleep, please?" Emily ran a hand through her hair. She waited while Oregon returned to his spot beside California, who had turned his phone off as asked, but had given Owen a good punch in the arm for earlier. Scanning the room, the nation nodded when she found all her states settled, including Alaska.

She allowed a moment of silence to pass, before stepping further into the room and giving all six states a kiss. No one resisted, knowing the routine, but hovering over Alaska, America whispered, "I'll tell you more tomorrow, kiddo, I promise you that."

Andrei turned his head with an inquisitive expression, but it was unseen by the country for she had left the room, her distance given by her voice rising again to yell at some other disobedient child of hers. The state could only exhale deeply in disappointment. It wasn't unusual, when competing with 49 brothers and sisters.

December 26, 2010

1:30am

The silence of the house was unsettling, especially for the mother of 50 rather rambunctious states. America listened to the lack of noise, feeling uncomfortable without the sound of life in her house. She leaned back in the office chair, having a glaring contest with the phone on her desk. A debate was roaring within her mind whether or not to make the call. The idea of calling though still made her uneasy, but something had told her early that morning while trying to explain to her second to youngest state the history of his birth that she wasn't going to be able to give the boy the whole story. Emily hated to admit it, but she was going to need help, and the only person who could was half a world away, and not someone she normally just phoned on the spot.

Breathing deeply, she grabbed the phone and brought it to her ear. Her hand hovered over the keys on the phone's base, but after licking her lips she began to dial.

She listened to the dial tone before the call connected and continued to listen to the phone ring a few times before someone finally picked up.

There was a pause of silence, as if the recipient of the call was caught by surprise that the number was international, before a familiar deep voice passed through the speaker, sounding slightly curious.

"Здравствуйте, я слушаю. (Allo, Slushayu vas.)"

Emily didn't expect to suddenly lose her words, catching the sound of the polite curiosity in the Russian's voice. For some reason, America was regretting her decision even before being denied. She found her sighing, the favor she wanted to ask slipping from her grasp. It wasn't as if she was actually scared or anything. But she just knew that this phone call had been spontaneous and there would be no way Ivan was going to have to hear her out.

But she had to do this for Andrei. Maybe not as his country, but as his mother, Emily wanted nothing more but to have her son understand what truly went on during those few months before his birth. There were just a few things she wanted to stop hiding from her youngest son.

Yet if she did that, something told the country that she couldn't do it alone. She shouldn't do it alone.

She wouldn't do it alone.

"Uh… hey Ivan, Merry Christmas." Giggling in discomfort, Emily feigned innocence ignorance she was notorious for. "Wait, it ain't Christmas there yet is it? You Russians and your freaky calendar systems."

This time it was the Russian's end that went quiet, the surprise settling in. "Ame- Emily?" The man was quick to note that she had used his human name.

Emily didn't know what she was nodding, knowing full well that he couldn't see her. "Yep, in the flesh, oh well, not exactly cuz, we're like talking over the phone and all." Glancing up at the door to the office she stoop from her spot and headed to the entrance, taking a quick peek out into the hallway. The silence of the house answered her, telling the mother that the coast was clear; no nosy states were up to hear this conversation. "What's up big guy? Hope big old Winter ain't ruining your holiday."

A faint chuckle reached her ears, but like her, Russia had yet to find the correct words to actually start a conversation. Who knew that a phone call could actually feel awkward, especially between two superpowers? The Russian uneasily cleared his throat, but did not speak.

Seconds ticked by, neither nation actually saying anything though making the necessary sounds to signal to the other that he or she was still there. Emily looked into one of the bedrooms down the hall, seeing the sleeping forms of several of her states. Closing the door with a small click she opened her mouth to begin, "I-"

"Is there an issue you would like to discuss?" Ivan quickly got to the point, his tone contently emotionless, but polite; a voice Emily was quite familiar with- Russia's diplomat voice.

Returning to her office, America laughed a little louder, "Kind of, you busy?" She took a glance at the clock on her desk, almost two in the morning Virginia time, "Seems I got the time zones right."

The conversation had yet to develop. Emily was making small talk, but she was really trying to keep from bringing up something stupid as she tended to do when speaking business with another country. It wasn't as if she was trying to be beat around the bush, but like a child she was pulling out the inevitable. "Actually, I was finishing lunch, America." Involuntarily shivering, Emily could mentally see the creepy smile twisting into the male nation's face before he continued. "But, it must be urgent if you seem to have had the need to call me through my personal line."

"Oops, sorry." The United States sighed, twisting one of her blonde locks around her finger in contemplation. Finally she sighed, "Uh… It's about Alaska."

"Andrei?" The cold taunt that was growing silently in Russia's words melted away at the sound of the states that he had sired, "Is something wrong?"

When Emily missed her cue to answer, she caught sound of the man on the other line sigh. She was already feeling guilty. "I see… did you give him his gift?"

"Yeah." The sight of the ticket to Moscow, slipped gently between the pages of Alaska's travel guide, came to the mother's mind. At the moment, the book itself was tucked nicely beneath her youngest son's pillow.

"And… he does not want to go." The assumption was quick, almost painless, as if Russia had been waiting to say it for quite a long time and had been expecting it. Aside from this indifferent comment, Emily could sense the Russian's disappointment, his sadness. Even if their relationship had always been strained, there was no denying that Ivan, as a person, not as a nation wanted to meet the child he never truly got to see.

Shaking her head even if he did not see her, Emily strongly returned, "No… He's pretty stoked about in fact." She chuckled genuinely this time, "Though I doubt I'm helping."

There was no hiding the relief Russia was giving off as he fell short of a reply. America kept on, "Before he goes… I'm telling him everything."

"Everything?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Ivan. The stuff not in the history books, the stuff not even in our secret archives or recorded in confidential documents. Andrei wants to know about these things- he needs to." There was finally a moment of understanding between the two superpowers as Russia didn't interrupt. "I need to ask you a favor."

The other country paused but answered, "What could I possibly do for you that could change the way my son views me?"

"Tell him the story that I can't..."

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Здравствуйте, я слушаю. (Allo, Slushayu vas.): Russian, literally meaning, "I'm listening." Used when answering the phone.

Well the end of Chapter 2. I apologize for the lack of story here, but at least I was able to squeeze Alaska's old man in there. America is terribly OOC, so I'm sorry for that too, but went I think mommy!America, I picture a nation who really knows what she's doing- she has like 50. The states' representations are not supposed to be exact stereotypes of their consecutive states; to me they're just their mother's kids with a few state-specific quirks.

Any questions and concerns please leave me a review. I am open to constructive criticism, but flaming isn't nice. Reviews in all are lovely. Keeps me wanting to write more.

Thank you all again, have a great day.


	4. Chapter 3

Hello all! Surprised to see me again so soon? Well, I finished a large essay and there is another on the horizon but for the time being, I had the time to get another chapter done, which means I can upload this next part. I don't have much to say except thanks for the reviews. Trust me, it keeps me hanging in there, as well as makes me write more and neglect my studies. I am getting good grades though.

Of course, with Finals coming up, this might be the last update for a few weeks. Until then I beg for your continued patience and reviews. If you have any questions or even recommendations I'm very open to ideas.

I don't own anything except the order of the words. And I have nothing against Eisenhower in this fic. I did however want to portray a slight human ignorance on foreign relations.

Uh… that's about it. Some feminist America in this chapter, but I don't think it'd be too bad. Eisenhower's words aren't meant to hurt, they're meant to teach.

I have nothing else to say, on with the fic. Thanks for reading, review please!

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Cold War Wedlock: Chapter 3

July 2, 1958

There were times when the United States hated her boss. From the very beginning, when she agreed to the establishment of a president and a four year term, Emily had constantly been torn between liking and disliking the man in charge. It all depended on how her boss treated her really. Whether he acknowledged her presence and listened to her ideas, or he told her to sit down and shut up, normally brought different reactions from the nation. Some bosses had truly accepted the fact that the United States was characterized by a woman, others, however, weren't as tolerant, choosing to ignore America's opinions on certain matters no matter how much experience she had on the issue. It hadn't changed much since the Women's suffrage era either; to many Presidents, Emily F. Jones was better off at home, in the kitchen, instead of working with the world, even if she was a nation.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a decent man, and knew how to make difficult, but wise decisions. Emily couldn't say much about him as a boss except that he was strict, not unlike several of her previous bosses who were once military men. But since the beginning of the arms race with the Soviet Union, her bosses had become far more controlling. She had loved FDR like a father, Truman like an uncle, but Eisenhower after him was a lot tougher to deal with. It was because of this craze lately, an idea relatively new to her people, but strange to the nation. This idea of the perfect family. The perfect man, woman, son, and daughter. A picture perfect life that she couldn't quite grasp.

She'd seen films, the ads; heard the radio shows. She'd noticed how women were the matrons of the home, while their husbands worked and tackled the rest of society. Maybe it was the fact that nearly two centuries of life had taught Emily otherwise, that women were a lot more, and more importantly, a seemingly perfect life couldn't possibly defeat the Soviets at hand. Yet she could understand how this new view had changed her people already, and that influence had spread to her boss as well.

"Explain this to me… What in the goddamn world were you thinking, Jones!" The hard tone in Eisenhower's voice made Emily flinch as she stood before him in none other than the Oval office. She stared at the floor, finding the ground much more interesting than the sight of the president's indignant face. She had been able to push coming to his office a day, but after twenty-four hours, he had begun to threaten the use of force, giving Emily just the more reason to come at her boss's call even is she preferred not to. "Jones, answer me!"

Sighing, the nation crossed her arms over her bust, cringing when the added pressure sent a jolt of pain through her chest. The symptoms of the pregnancy had come swiftly since finding out about the newest petition for statehood, and even after 48 states, the woman couldn't help but despise the first trimester. Morning sickness wasn't far behind if she was feeling such a way already. She rolled her eyes like a rebellious teen before finally obliging, "Look, you don't have to get so frosted*, alright Ike? I told you, I got this handled, you don't have to worry."

"Worry? Worry? This is more than worry, Jones. You're having the child of the Soviet Union!" The ex-general's fist came slamming against the table.

Emily gritted her teeth to restrain from snapping back. What did her boss know about foreign relations? Ok, a lot, she had to admit, but not enough to understand what foreign relations meant on a physical level… a very physical level. She spoke, "I'm having another state, just like you wanted. Does it really matter who the father is?"

The man before her ran a hand down his face; an action Emily knew was a way Eisenhower attempted to control himself from blowing. "You… I…I am aware that I referred to the establishment of a 49th state-"

"And I told you that making a state ain't no walk in the park." Emily interrupted him. She drew her arms away from her breasts to place them on her hips. "Ike, I don't make the decisions here, I'm directly affected by them. I wasn't the one who told the Alaskan Territory to petition for statehood, and I wasn't the one who gave Congress the permission to pass it. It just so happens that when they did, the Soviet Union was the only one around to sire another state."

"THAT is the reason why I am so pissed off, Jones. Who in God's name gave you the right to sleep with the only country strong enough to threaten us? You're a nation, goddamnit, not some sex-craxed lunatic!"

The statement hit hard, but Emily bore through it with a shake of her head. Her bosses never understood, rarely understood just exactly how the world worked on the level of Emily and the other countries. Sex was just as important as a treaty, and in some cases even required as a form of persuasion. It wasn't as if she wanted to have sex with the Soviet Union, especially now when Ivan seemed to be walking the fine line between sanity and insanity. "I wanted to protect the citizens of the United States, Mr. President, nothing more."

She clenched her fists and bit her tongue to keep from reacting to her boss's final statement, "By being a whore?"

There was a moment of silence. Emily finding herself mute of a reply. There was no point explaining to a human why she did what she did. All she could do now was listen and keep going even with this baby on the way. She fidgeted for a few minutes before continuing, as if she hadn't heard the comment. "So… what do you want me to do now?"

"Simple." Eisenhower replied, knowing well that the woman had surrendered. "We can't have Soviets know that you're with child."

Glancing up, Emily lifted an eyebrow, "You want me to hide?"

"No, I don't want anyone to see you in this condition alone; it would only leave you vulnerable to attack by the Soviet Union. It would be the best choice to settle down for the duration of this pregnancy with an ally who will best serve in protecting you when the time comes."

"Whoah, whoah! 'Settle down?' What the heck to you mean, 'settle down"! With an ally too? Don't you realize no one really wants to get into my business, Ike?" Emily froze when realization his her like a brick to the head. "You…want me to get married!"

"Jones, our nation is in an arms race with one of the most powerful governments in the world, while you're pregnant and partnerless. What's more, you understand that image you give of our country is completely contrary to what we want our nation to embody! Do you want to set a terrible example to the citizens, to the world? Our nation's reputation can't deal with such scandal! I want you to lie low, and if marriage is the only way to keep you from potentially ruining whatever advantages we have over the Soviets, so be it."

"You can't possibly be forcing me to do that!" Rage boiled just under the surface, ready to spill out. America could only stomp her foot to keep from exploding, "I've had 48 states and have never needed help! I'm not just going to get married to the first nation I see! Do you realize how damn difficult it is telling 48 extremely independent kids that number 49's on the way, let alone adding that they might be required to call some random country 'Daddy' for as long as Ivan feels the need to paint the entire world red?"

Lacing his fingers together, the President leaned forward on his desk, "Jones, this is for your safety. The world is changing, but what remains the same is that aside from your position as a nation, you must remember you are a woman and-"

"Don't… Don't you dare say it Eisenhower!" The female nation was bristling at what he was about to bring up. Her sudden change of expression from almost childish distaste to the disturbing contempt of a superpower brought the man's comment to a screeching halt. "I have never, never needed help from another person, man or woman. Washington never had any problem with me practically raising the first thirteen during the Revolution. Lincoln didn't care whether or not I was alone trying to control 34 kids, all attempting to kill each other, and having two more while I was being torn apart. You ever hear about the Bleeding Kansas fiasco? Well I had to live it, and there wasn't a single damn "ally" nearby was there?"

America stopped before she blurted out something along the lines of Russia being the Union's only ally at the time of the Civil War. If she added that she knew she'd be complicating things for more than necessary. Already she was riling herself up a bit much, feeling sick to her stomach from her outburst. She didn't want to have to argue issues far above her President's head, and a nap was starting to sound good. Crossing her arms firmly across her aching chest, she glared but spoke a lot less heatedly, "Every one of my other Bosses were perfectly fine with me being alone during war, peace, through pregnancies, and miscarriages. I don't need some kind of "semi-permanent" alliance to tie me down."

The silence that followed chilled her to the bone, as the human refused to change his expression, and give up any sign that he was reconsidering. Eisenhower only shook his head. "Well, I'm not one of your other Bosses, Jones. I'm the current President of the United States of America, and it is to the nation's-your best interest to undergo this pregnancy under the protection of an ally." Opening her mouth to speak, the leader overtook her, "If you don't, then you will not be having this child. If you do not find a suitable partner in a week's time, I will veto and deny the Alaska Territory's petition for statehood."

She could feel the blood quickly drain from her face with his words and her anger, maternal instinct taking its place. The threat was genuine. Emily was more than certain what happened after a petition failed to pass. She placed a hand on her stomach. The child of a Soviet or not, this was her baby as well, and she wasn't going to give it up merely because she couldn't put her pride aside in a time of crisis.

"Fine." She growled before closing her eyes, praying that this was a dream that she'd wake up from at any moment. Opening them again, she sighed before nodding and holding up her left hand, "Where's the ring?"

December 26, 2010

Andrei turned the mug of hot chocolate in his hand, cerulean eyes watching the cup's contents slush around without spilling. For some time now the state had been eerily silent his body frozen and stiff as if he had been turned to ice. His mother observed his response, concern alive in her gaze, waiting for a reaction of some kind. She hadn't gotten to the hard part of the story, but the boy's demeanor wasn't exactly begging her to go on.

America pursed her lips and leaned against an upturned hand in silence. The house was uncomfortably quiet again, but it was expected when 49 of her children had already gone home to prepare for New Years except for young Alaska whom she had kept home for the sake of fulfilling a promise. She glanced at the clock from her seat at the kitchen table, 7:45pm, a few hours before she'd be expecting a return call from a certain Russian she had phoned earlier that morning. Emily looked at her son again, hoping that she had given him enough time to let the latest part of the story settle. Worry still fresh, the mother bent down and gave Alaska a quick kiss on the forehead before a bright smile graced her face. "So? Not what you were expecting, huh kiddo?"

She received a reaction to her words, but it was as mute as the rest of Alaska's actions. The boy shrugged before leaning in and sipping his hot cocoa.

Frowning for a few seconds before grinning again, America nudged her head against her son's. He didn't pull away when she positioned themselves cheek to cheek. "Alaska, honey?" She queried, "What you thinking about?"

Finally Andrei sighed, reaching up to scratch his head with a mix of frustration and continued contemplation. "I can't believe… he made you do that. He had no right."

Emily chuckled. Her youngest son's voice was cold, like ice, a trait she wouldn't deny came from his father. She tried to process his words while observing his face. As the state boiled in his own silent anger, the nation couldn't help but feel relieved that this was the worst of his thoughts. Tucking a few loose strands of hair behind Alaska's ear, America nodded, "Well, those were the circumstances, Alaska. I wanted to fight back, trust me on that, but I knew he had the power to hurt you. It's one of the disadvantages of being a nation, I guess." She held him close, "Besides, he had been right. I shouldn't have tried making peace with your dad by sleeping with him. It was the oldest trick in the book. And looking back, he was pretty hard-headed to deny me my right to have you alone. Of course, if I hadn't been forced to agree, I might never have survived the Cold War, but I guess you'll learn more about that when I talk about your Dad."

Hearing the slight reference to the Eastern European nation, the state looked to his mother. "Keep going."

"What?" Surprise caught America quickly when her son spoke again.

"Keep going… with the story, please." Looking away sheepishly, Alaska tried to hide the absolute desire to know more. To be so absolutely nosy of his mother's past affairs.

Staring at the state, Emily had to ask, "You sure?"

"Yeah."

Emily had to pause, for her sake this time, not her son. The mother closed her eyes in attempts to gather her thoughts before her lips parted to speak, "A Week, practically five days. Ike would give me five days to find me a husband… like that would be effing easy. The first thing that came to mind was, who the hell would want to get married to me and "father" the child of a Soviet? My boss was asking the impossible. Find someone who was willing to take the responsibility that belonged to your father, as if it was so simple. The only person who was willing to step in front of your dad was me; it wasn't like I had a line of nations just ready to be called daddy."

Leaning back, America chewed on her lip. Something was bothering her, but as for what it was, the nation wasn't saying. The mother had to reach over to touch her child's cheek while looking into his cerulean gaze, "I couldn't always be the hero by spreading my legs; I learned that pretty quickly. But you know what; it hurt a lot more realizing that I couldn't find a father for my very own child because of a single stupid mistake. Never, never have I ever not wanted any of my children, but more than once have I known that not many countries have that same desire."

"I had to turn to the only person who would understand me, or I thought understood me. Your Uncle Mattie wasn't very enthusiastic about the proposal, but at least, he was willing to do it for your sake, not our bosses'."

Alaska could only raise an eyebrow, "'Not very enthusiastic?'"

His mother shrugged, "Oh don't worry about it. He fell for my awesome persuasive skills in no time."

* * *

*Frosted: It's 50s slang for getting angry. Even in the 1950s, America aimed to be cool.

Dun-dun-dun! Oooh, persuasive skills and Canadians… I don't know whether that's actually a good mix.

That is all for what might be a while. Next time, we're bringing in Canada, and in a few chapters (I have it planned out per se) we'll see the old Ruskie again. I do have to go now. Thank you for reading, please leave any questions/comments in your reviews. I apologize if my take on America isn't to anyone's liking.

Bye for now, until next time.

Thank you all again.


	5. Chapter 4

Greetings readers! I know I told you about the wait, but I just finished and turned in a paper so I decided, what the heck, I'm going to write a new chapter and if I can, I'll upload a new one. I have final next week, but spring break is to follow so hopefully a new chapter can be up by then as well.

So before I start studying for finals, here's another chapter of Cold War Wedlock.

Warnings: Due to being a fan of the NA sibling relationship, you might get some twincest in the following chapters. As America's female here, I can't call it much of a bromance anymore, but the relationship is a lot closer than your average sibling bond. My personal take on the some of the Midwestern States (Like Michigan and Minnesota) are actually Canada's kids; it's an unusual take on the relationship, but it will bring up a few difficulties later on, so it needs to be there.

Please Read and Review, thanks so much again.

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Cold War Wedlock: Chapter 4

**[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Due to my 'Awesome' copying and pasting skills, I accidentally copied part of the last chapter to this one... like a reminder. No, I wasn't trying to do a recap, but I just copied more than necessary... that's what I get for typing the fic in one single Word Document. Nothing's different except that I removed this repetition due to a comment (Thank you). I apologize for the mistake. That's why I commented about it's shortness. Oops.]**

July 4, 1958

"Yay! You made it!" Emily squealed, as her twin brother walked into her home with a gentle smile. She launched herself at him, hugging him around the neck with pure and genuine elation at seeing the soft-spoken Canadian. Giggling, America released the other man and took his hand, dragging poor Matthew into the den faster than he could react to her actions. With a quick shove, Canada was on the couch, looking slightly winded, but silently he accepted his southern sister's excitement; it was her birthday after all.

Matthew Williams held up the neatly wrapped gift in his hands, which Emily took with a blinding smile. America placed the present aside before throwing herself on the couch beside the taller man and clapping her hands. "You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this, Mattie. It's been a while, hasn't it? Oh, happy belated-birthday by the way. We'll have enough fun for two birthdays, just for you, k?"

"Uh… yeah. Happy Birthday to you too, Em." No matter how many times they had spent time with each other, Matthew couldn't help but feel exhausted by his sister's limitless energy. She was constantly happy to the point of being naïve about everything and anything, but it was her nature. Matthew truly had no right to complain, though he did on many occasions. He could see just by the way his twin was looking at him, that Emily had something on her mind, but whether it was something about her birthday or a topic he couldn't quite put a finger on, he didn't quite know. "Last time was after we put together NORAD, eh?"

She nodded her head profusely before America leaned against her brother's form, "Yep, been busy since then?"

Canada looked down at her only to reply, "Well, I don't exactly want Ivan singling me out any time soon, sis." His violet stare met her blue one before he had to voice out at least one of his thoughts, "I'm surprised… It actually took you less time to recognize me than usual."

He watched his twin pull back, her face transforming into a pout. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest only to recoil and place her hands on her lap instead. Matthew wasn't ignorant enough not to notice the sudden show of discomfort. "What you mean?" His sister's words half-whined and half-rebutted. "I always recognize you."

"Not when you're too busy being a super power, you don't." The statement cut through Emily hard, making her straighten considerably. Canada sighed, quickly changing the subject, looking around the empty house as he did so, "Am I the only one you invited to your birthday?"

The female nation bobbed her head once more, "Yeah! I thought it would be nice to spend time together like old times. Besides, everyone else is busy rebuilding. Iggy, hasn't even called me to wish me a happy birthday yet, and it's like tomorrow already in Britain." The blonde took a second to give her trademark pout before breaking out into just another trademark smile, "Oh, I did also invite our bosses over."

Lifting an eyebrow, Matthew had to repeat his sister, "Our 'bosses'?"

"Yep. Ike and Johnny enjoy each other's company so if they wanted to, I was more than willing to have them come here today. Besides, Ike's been real antsy about the Canadian-American relations lately, though he won't admit it to Johnny. We can prove him wrong, right Mattie?"

The expression on her twin's face boasted more curiosity than understanding. "Uh… Em, I'm not sure Diefenbaker even knows he's invited. And his name is John, sis, not Johnny." He could tell that such measures had to entail something more. The birthdays of nations were normally private gatherings, bosses, unless they were very close to the celebrant nation, rarely got to come and witness the parties of their countries. In Emily's case, it was like inviting her extremely strict father and his business associate to a bachelorette party. "You asked both of them to come, just like that?"

"Uh-huh. I told them I'm making hamburgers tonight! They've become a hit with all the teenagers lately; I thought I'd try my hand at them. What do you say, bro?" She beamed before she got to her feet energetically. The northern nation observed the woman for a second before nodding mute. "Oh, hold on let me double check all the ingredients."

The US was buying time; only a country as close as Canada could sense it. Catching his twin about to head into the next room, he grabbed a hold of her hand from his sitting position before roughly tugging her back down. Emily was beside him again with a thud and a noticeable wince when, though Matthew wasn't going to go around admitting it, the movement had made her breasts bounce oh so slightly. The man felt his face warm up, tinting his cheeks a gentle pink, but he forced it down to listen to America's abrupt complaints.

"The hell, Canada? Why'd you have to be so damn rough?" America rarely got this angry so easily, but she was practically growling at her twin when she regained her composure. Matthew returned her hard gaze with nonchalance, but refused to let go of her hand.

"What do you want?" The Canadian muttered flatly.

His sister was on the defensive faster than he would give her credit. "What?" She was trying to slip her hand from his, but he grabbed higher, her wrist now in his hold.

"You want to ask me something, right? So spill it, what do you want?" It was only ever so often when Canada was able to get the upper hand with his relatively stronger sister. He and his boss had come up with an agreement to keep out of the little spat between his twin and the Soviet Union, but knowing Emily, it was only a matter of time before she dragged him into another one of her frequent disputes. With her pulling their bosses into the mix, it could only mean one thing. She wanted him to do her a favor, and a large one at that. Whenever the southern twin felt nervous, her brother was quick to take note of it. In her eyes, voice, body language; it was all too easy for Matthew to point that something was wrong or about to happen.

The man sighed when Emily had stiffened and her face contorted into just another of her pouts. "I wasn't going to ask you anything, Matthew Williams." Her blue eyes positioned themselves on his face as she emphasized his name in the annoying tone Canada knew all too well.

"You're a terrible liar, Emily F. Jones." Canada returned just as irritatingly.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are. Too." He wasn't one to sink so low as to mimic his sister's immature antics, but the moment called for it. Besides, Emily had a knack of giving up anyway and Matthew had to admit it, he liked pushing his sister's buttons, which was rare and far between.

Instead of answering, Emily had moved to attempting to pry his fingers off her wrist. He could feel her inhumane strength building up in her lower arms as she held one of his fingers. With his remaining hand, he took hold of her other wrist, "Em…"

"Let go of me, Matt."

He had to roll his eyes, 'Oh God, now she's mad.' He thought grimly to himself, but before the Canadian could oblige the American, Matthew could feel himself moving. In one fluid motion, Canada went from the couch to the floor as his sister abruptly pulled from his grip, unfortunately bringing him with her. The impact of the ground was enough to make him release her, sitting up and catching his breath. "Jesus Christ, Emily. And you call me rough?"

His twin was on her knees defiantly, but she didn't cross her arms as she tended to do when she argued. "It was your fault. If you had just let go-"

"Hey, if you had just told me what the hell you want, instead of being a complete drama queen about it." The Northern brother overtook her.

"I am not a drama queen! You just can't keep up!"

"Face it, you are!" The twins were facing each other now, "Try listening for once, will you? Instead of going on with that big fat mouth of yours."

Canada watched as America, who had been about to protest again, suddenly shut her mouth when he spoke. She was pouting even more now, and seeing it, brought him to continue, "If you'd just stop bitching about every single thing, maybe you'd actually do something beneficial for the rest of society instead of this stupid arms race, you're getting all riled up about." It seemed to click when he spoke, "Oh, that's it, eh? You want support for another one of your brilliant schemes to defeat, not Communism, the 'threat' of Communism, aren't you?"

"Mattie…"

"Hold on, let me finish, please. What the hell did I just say about actually using your ears, for once? You keep talking, but really don't listen, you know that? One day, you're going to find yourself trying to talk everyone's ears off, before realizing no one is effing listening to you because you yourself don't seem to give a crap! When someone asks a question, you just got to answer it straight, got that? You don't just swing back and forth, evading every damn question that's thrown at you. Answer me straight if you got something to say, because seriously Em, you're making me go insane. If you have a problem, hurry up and just tell me already, but seriously, if it has to do with helping you deal with something Soviet related, I'm going to scream." The Canadian finished his verbal tirade out of breath, but he was more than ready to get a reply.

He was met with nothing but silence.

Turning, Matthew found Emily mute, shoulders shuddering and eyes glistening. Her pout seemed cemented to her face, but he knew she far more upset than that. Emily glared and kept glaring, but she made no sign of giving her twin a rebuttal to his words.

Canada fell back as he watched her. He shook his head, "Em…"

"Scream." A single word slipped from her mouth, but it came out more like a whimper.

"Huh?"

"Scream." Repeating the term, Emily swallowed with difficulty. "That's… what you said… right?"

Slack-jawed, her twin stared at her with wide violet eyes, "I'm not…"

"Damn it Canada, I was listening ok? So scream already!" The tears that were threatening to fall from his sister's eyes were hot with anger and frustration… and America wasn't a nation prone to cry.

Matthew had to pull his gaze away from the girl in front of him. Guilt was quick to replace whatever had triggered his sudden rant about America's faults. He was beginning to regret exploding at her, especially with the fact that he was at her house to celebrate her birthday after all. He could have controlled his words, but the anger from his citizens had been there boiling at the core of his brain. Daring to allow silence to place a barrier between them, Canada looked at his sister again.

He found her cradling her stomach, not realizing that her brother had returned his gaze. Now Canada really felt lousy.

"Ah shit, Emily." The female nation snapped her head up in acknowledgement, "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Without answering his question, America replied, "I'll tell you what I want if you scream."

Canada got to his knees, "Why do you keep asking tha…." Realization hit him like a brick. "Oh…"

America had merely narrowed her eyes. Exhaling a deep breath, Matthew finally nodded, knowing just how much he was digging of his own grave, but he really wasn't that heartless to make his sister cry on her own birthday. "Ahh! Ok, I'm done, now what do you want?"

"Marry me."

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Aww, it's a lot shorter than I thought it would be, but I don't want to throw off the comfortable space between each chapter or you'll have to wait even longer for updates. Keep your eyes open for updates in a week or so after Finals, but I better get to studying. Thanks all, remember to review.

You might have noticed Canada's very dominant take here. It is not the same when he's with others. Also during the 1950s and specifically the 1960s, Canada wasn't exactly an extremely supportive ally. According to my research, once John Diefenbaker was elected as Canada's Prime Minister, the US government was afraid about some Anti-American sentiment growing in Canada at the time. Poor Canada here can't help but blow off some steam, but as a brother with a sister like America, he can't stay very mad at her.

Canada is one of the only countries we actually try to keep in good terms with, specifically during the Cold War.

Uh, that's it. Until Next Time!


	6. Chapter 5

Hello everyone. This chapter was supposed to be up about two weeks ago, but for some reason my fanfiction account went haywire and I couldn't edit any of my stories to add new chapters. I apologize for the delay, but everything is ok now so here is the newest chapter.

Well nothing much to say here. Thank you all again for the reviews, just keep them coming please.

Let's continue shall we?

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Cold War Wedlock: Chapter 6

December 26, 2010

"Phew, this is one hell of a story." Emily stood from her spot at the kitchen counter and took the empty cups of both her and son to the sink. She rinsed the mugs without continuing, "Crap, I won't be able to talk for days if I keep this up. That'd be so uncool."

Sitting on his hands, Andrei observed her mom clean the dishes before giving a small remark, "You like doing that, don't you mom?"

"Eh?" Emily replied with a smile and a laugh, "I sound like your Uncle."

"Not finishing the stories you start."

"Ouch, someone sure doesn't know how to quit. Give me a break, will ya? Just because I'm a nation, doesn't mean I can talk forever." Placing the cups aside, Emily turned and leaned against the sink, crossing her arms. "Persistent boy aren't you? That's definitely not from your father's side of the family."

"I get it from the best, mom." The gentle grin her boy returned, reminded America eerily of the Russian who sired the state. She involuntarily shuddered.

His mother sighed. "You are becoming one hell of a smart aleck, Alaska. I don't know whether I should share that with your father so he doesn't accidently pummel you during his silently creepy moments of rage." Emily chuckled when Andrei ran out of words to reply. She strolled over and patted her boy on the head, "I'm just kidding. Your pop's not going to do anything to you, unless he wants to get his ass kicked…again, yep I am so that awesome! Up, kiddo; we're getting out of the kitchen. We've been here a couple hours already."

The two left the area, America leading the way up the stairs to her bedroom. She grabbed her son and plopped him in front of her computer, before turning it on and waiting for it to boot up. As they waited for the desktop to load, she leaned against her son's head with a deep breath. "Mom…"

"Yes, baby?" Emily grabbed the mouse and quickly opened the Skype window.

"What… are we doing now?" Glancing up, blue met blue.

Emily answered, "I'm looking for the continuation of that story, Andrei." A frown darkened her face when she couldn't find the person she was looking for online. "I could tell you this next part, but I don't think I'll be able to be as descriptive. After the whole marriage fiasco, some things happened that even I'm not sure how they came about."

Before the boy knew it, his mother was on her iphone waiting for someone to pick up. She left her son to contemplate on the tale he had heard so far. It seemed very different from what he had expected, political, yet in the back of his mind, he knew that his birth had been political in nature as his mother had explained. What had he been expecting? A story of love, hate, betrayal, with his parents as the protagonists? Even he wasn't that imaginative to picture his mother and father as star crossed lovers, or anything. Alas, it didn't make the dissatisfaction go away in the pit of his stomach. He had been hoping for something more, anything more. He wanted to know what his father was doing at the time. For some reason, Andrei wanted signs of a happy ending, even if he perfectly understood history wouldn't rewrite itself for his sake.

"Hey, you up?" Emily's voice broke into his thoughts as she was finally connected. "Get online so we can Skype. I need you to do me a favor."

There was a pause as she listened to a reply. "I'll tell you what it is once you get online… Love you!"

Hanging up, Emily leaned forward again onto Andrei's head. "Ok, here we go." In seconds, the video chat automatically opened, revealing the image that of a white bear simply sitting in front of the webcam. It cocked its head. Andrei returned the motion, recognizing his Uncle's northern furry companion. "Kumajiro, can we speak to Matthew please?"

"Who?"

Emily opened her mouth to respond, but found Kumajiro slowly rising and being placed aside. Her male twin slipped into the seat the bear had possessed moments before, "It's Canada." Said nation released a patient, but habitual sigh at the polar bear's lack of recollection in terms of identifying his master. Readjusting his glasses, Matthew expressed a curious look and added, "Alaska?"

The Canadian's nephew nodded, "Hi, Uncle Matt. Merry Christmas."

"Mattie, how are you bro?" Emily added from her place on top of her state's head. "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing much, Em. I was doing a few errands around the house before you called. Went out for Boxing Day* with a few of the Provinces earlier this morning." His eyes flickered from hers to her son's. "Merry Christmas, Alaska. Staying home with mom for New Years?"

"Yeah, she's been telling me what happened around the time I was born, so she kept me here." The boy replied politely.

Canada's curious expression returned for a moment, before he took a look at his southern twin. "Wow. That's a pretty heavy story for a state, eh? Why is she doing that?"

Andrei shrugged simply, "I asked her why she didn't get rid of me when she knew I was a Soviet baby, so she told me that she'd give me the whole story."

From her place, Emily smiled at her brother's image on the screen, without comment. With his favorite Uncle, Andrei was uncharacteristically responsive, and the nations were completely fine with that. The fact that Alaska was speaking comfortably was what Emily wanted, and she knew Canada was the perfect person to continue the story. "Well, let me tell you, asking your mother to get rid of a state (or use birth control for that matter) is like trying to ask a fish to stop swimming." Matthew kindly noted, "That's why she ended up having 50 of you."

Bobbing his head in comprehension, Andrei agreed, "Mom told me. She said that when her boss ordered her to get married or get rid of me; she chose to get married."

"Did she now?"

"She said she asked you to marry her, right?" The pressure on his head had lifted as Emily straightened up and carried on listening in on the conversation. "Did you say yes?"

For a moment, Canada's eyes came to widen as he found the boy asking such an unusual question with his mother right behind him. Gazing at his twin, but still speaking to his nephew, he asked, "Did your mom not tell you?" The bob turned into a shake of the head. "Oh?"

"She said you know this part better than her." Matthew's stare burrowed into his sister's own, but she merely smiled back before tilting her head in acknowledgement. Canada released a breath before nodding in agreement. He was such a pushover when Alaska got involved.

"I wouldn't say she doesn't know what happened as well as I do, but many sources are better than a single source." The nation explained before tapping himself on the chin in thought, "Fine, I'll tell you what I know… though it won't be as 'awesome' as your mother's interpretation."

Emily giggled, "Damn straight, it won't." Stepping away from Andrei, she added, "Thanks a bunch Uncle Mattie. You're in charge of curfew. Tell him as much as you like."

The state's attention fell to her in an instant, confusion on his young face. He cringed when she kissed him on the forehead, "I have a few matters I need to touch base on, hun. You just listen to your Uncle."

"You're not staying?"

Beginning to head for the door, America rolled her eyes, "I was there in 58; trust me, I don't need to live through it again."

"So, what was the last thing Emily told you?" Canada took his cue and pulled Andrei's attention back to the topic at hand.

"She made you scream."

Canada froze at the detail. It took a few moments before the memory hit him, "Oh! She told you that, did she?" Running a hand over his face, Matthew shook his head. "Jeez, you're only a state. Why learn about all the stupid things we nations do just to keep ourselves alive."

Bright blue eyes gazed at him silently, the north-western state emotionlessly waiting for his uncle to do as he had promised moments earlier. Canada could see in the boy's stare that Alaska wasn't going to be lightening up anytime soon.

"You're just like your mother, you know that?" Matthew added.

Andrei tilted his head in curiosity, "Mom says I'm more like my father actually."

Shrugging the Canadian agreed half-heartedly, "You look like him, but you have the same effect on me your mother has. Even if I had been allowed to act as your dad, I don't think anyone would have been able to believe it, even if we were as close as we are now." There was a pause, "You're mother asked me to marry her, and no matter what my boss had told me about getting involved with US-affairs, it was just too easy to take her hand when she told me about you."

July 4, 1958

"Wait, we're going to tell them now?" Matthew asked incredulousness painted across her face as his sister dragged him from the living room to the kitchen as she gathered the ingredients together for that night's hamburger dinner. "Can't we wait? I mean, I told you I'm ok about the whole fathering another state thing, but shouldn't we discuss this a little more in detail before bringing in our bosses?"

Dropping him on the first seat in the room, Emily strolled to the refrigerator and began unpacking the array of burger ingredients she had purchased the day before. She didn't answer his inquiry until she was already working on forming the patties, "They're going to be the first one's to find out anyway, right? So why pull out what's just going to happen." Beginning to hum the National Anthem under her breath she continued with her preparations as her twin observed. After a moment, Canada stood up from his seat and began rummaging through her cupboards for a cup. He filled it with some water from the faucet before drinking, "Besides, we need to get married at least by the seventh or we'll be in trouble."

The Northern twin practically spit the entire contents of cup in one abrupt display of surprise. He began to cough as the remnants of the water choked the poor nation, leaving Emily's brother gasping for breath and keeled over the sink beside her. Emily patted Matthew's back with clean part of her hand, giggling. "E-EH!" Matthew exclaimed after catching his breath. "What, what do you mean by the seventh? You don't actually mean the seventh of July do you?"

"The sooner the better!" His sibling replied all too simply while calmly working on the meal, unaware of the look of clear shock written all over Matthew's face. Emily glanced back at the puddle that Canada had recently created on her kitchen floor. "You're going to clean that up, bro."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." The Canadian didn't even look at the mess his violet stare locked onto his sister's form the entire time. "Wh-why? Why get married in three days?"

Finally looking back, Emily shrugged, "We can make it two if you have something else to do."

Shaking his head, Matthew placed the cup down and ran both hands through his hair in confusion. "Em, do you understand how crazy that is? It's messed up- it's more than messed up! We can't get married just like that. Not in two OR three days."

He watched his sibling put aside the finished patties before moving onto pulling apart the head of lettuce she had nearby, after washing her hands, of course. "What about this?" She said, glancing up at him and then returning to her work of tearing apart the lettuce head, "We'll get the whole thing done by tomorrow so that you can return to Ontario… or Toronto or Vancouver, wherever your capital is. As long as we're married before a week passes then we'll be fine. You don't even need to stick around too long. Come visit me every month or so; make sure I'm not dead or anything and then just go back to your own business. A piece of cake."

Her twin rubbed his temples and turned his head from side to side. She just didn't get it. "A day? Come on Emily, we're talking about marriage here. Give me a month at least. An international merger can't just happen overnight. Don't you think our people, or more so, the states will be the least bit happy with us joining so suddenly?" Emily couldn't help but continue to chuckle at how distraught her twin appeared, and full out laughed when Canada added, "My capital's Ottawa, by the way. Can't you at least remember that?"

"Jeez, Mattie, calm down. You act as if my kids'll kill you once they find out we're going to get married. The Northern ones always liked you; some of them call you 'Daddy' after all. Come on, it could be a lot worse." Placing the lettuce to the side, Emily took out the tomatoes and began on them. As she worked, she kept on, "And it's not like we're getting married permanently. I remember how much you hated even the thought of getting married in 1812, and personally, one capital burned crispy is more than enough, Canada. We'll do it just to keep the bosses happy and so I don't have to worry about Ike vetoing the petition for statehood. I just need to find a "husband" who'll back me up if Russia goes berserk and I'm 8 months pregnant or something. Of course a week to find one was kinda pushing it in my opinion."

America froze, knife in hand and slices of tomato falling aside as she sliced through it before realizing what she had just done. She could feel her brother frozen beside her, one of those few moments where the old twin link thing would come back and they both knew what the other was thinking. For a split millisecond their eyes met, violet demanding that blue surrender whatever it was hiding.

Emily sliced another sliver of tomato.

Canada straightened up to his full height, quite a bit taller than her due to sexual dimorphism as well as all the extra northern wilderness to boot. America continued to cut tomatoes as if she hadn't conspicuously stopped after her last statement. Matthew shortened the already short distance between them, gently taking his sister's hand, holding the knife, and stopping its actions. If it weren't for the fact that it was Canada currently attempting to disarm her, America would have easily elbowed the man in the stomach and attempted to kill him or at least knock him unconscious.

"America." Matthew was actually being serious, which wasn't a good thing. "Could you repeat that last part, I don't think I caught that."

It really wasn't much of a request, more like an order. Matthew ordering her around wasn't a very good thing either.

Giggling and feigning ignorance, the American female played stupid, "Oh, I was just saying something like how'd you be there to distract Russia if he comes at me while I'm heavily pregnant. Though I mean it's pretty uncool when I can't just go hero and kick his ass. I'd have to depend on a Canadian." She laughed and tried to slip her hand out of his hold, discovering that her brother wasn't going to release her anytime soon. Sighing she kept on, "Hey, you want to let go? These tomatoes won't cut themselves, you know."

Someone wanted to get flipped again. Canada lifted his hand, learning from the previous confrontation that she could get serious in a heartbeat. But in quick motion, he took hold of his twin's small form and had spun it around, so that she was looking directly at him still gripping the knife. Ignoring the potential weapon, the northern twin spoke again, "Em, you know exactly what I'm talking about. What did you say about Eisenhower?"

He watched her pout and glance at the knife, almost as if she was considering using it. Her brother swallowed but didn't give in, placing both hands against the kitchen counter at her sides, barring her escape with his arms. Canada looked at her in defiance, daring her to try being violent with him. Rolling her eyes, Emily dropped the pointy object in silent surrender. She moved to cross her arms, found that rather painful, and let them fall to her sides.

"Look, he just gave me a deadline to do it. Get circled** within a week or something bad'll happen. God Canada, you writing a book***?"

"'Something bad?'" Her twin echoed to demand the next answer from the female superpower.

Matthew could feel his face heating up as the Southern nation slid her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together so he was kept in place. His sister was playing dirty to escape the need to keep going. "You're such a wet rag****. Look, it doesn't matter anymore, now that you're here to pull through." The constant gaze on her did not break, Canada making it worse for both of them by circling his arms around her waist to keep her still. Emily stiffened in discomfort, body sore in many places. The US stared into the Northern nation's eyes, and for the first time, Matthew could see that this situation was a far more complicated than he had given her credit. He wasn't merely marrying her for the sake of protection because she had gotten pregnant with another country's baby. There was something his sister hadn't quite disclosed to him other than the reason why her own boss was being unusual nitpicky with the pregnancy. She exhaled deeply, "Fine. Ike said he'd veto the petition for statehood if I didn't marry an ally, and you know as well as I do what happens if he does."

"What! Emily, that's not-" Emily allowed her head to fall against the taller man's shoulder, interrupting Canada's statement and releasing another a tired breath.

"I know… I know… But it's alright now. That damn commie's kid or not, I'm not losing this state just because no one wants to be seen near me." Matthew didn't move from their position, the comment not exactly registering as his sister spoke further, "I'm real sorry about doing this to you, Mattie. Eisenhower just wants me to be safe, especially with the way the Soviet Union is. If he finds out, I'm sure Ike'll be vetoing the petition in no time."

The anger that had been boiling under the surface, flared up at this. The normally gentle Canada clicked his tongue. "Still, you're his country. What the hell makes him think-"

A finger to his lips forced him to stop once more. Emily stared at him now, somber for a moment before resurrecting her bright smile, "Shh. It's going to be ok. Just chill, will you bro? You really don't need to feel obliged to help me… or get angry with my President. It was my fault." The unusual statement coming from his twin's mouth surprised Matthew, but with her finishing confession he couldn't help but release his grip on her waist as if he had just been burned. "The state of Alaska, the one you'll be "fathering", is Ivan's baby… that's why this is happening."

Shock hit harder than anything. And as his twin walked away from his loose hold, grin lighting up her face as if she hadn't dropped a nuke of information into her twin's hands, Canada stood in his place speechless, long enough to notice the secret service operative, through the kitchen window, disappearing from view.

December 26, 2010

11:58pm

Stopping, Canada leaned back in his chair and stretched. He pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose and looked back at the nephew he could have fathered. Though he received nothing but silence, the uncle allowed his account to sink in and register into the state's mind.

His southern twin did have a point, Alaska looked disturbingly a lot like his father. His hair, his demeanor, even the way he held himself, Andrei definitely had some Russian in him. The only thing reminiscent of his mother were those bright blue eyes that Emily had passed onto every single one of her children. Blue eyes were, at times, the only way a nation could distinguish a state when visiting the southern superpower and finding a presence not exactly human, but not exactly country-like either.

If Alaska developed enough, he'd end up taller than his mother, Canada noted while he continued to wait. Maybe he'd inherit his father's height. Smiling to himself, Matthew shook his head. He'd be one large state, larger than Texas, and he had met Big Tim several times already.

But Canada did forget one thing all states seemed to take from their perky mother.

"Why'd you stop!" The nation jumped at the sudden exclamation coming from Andrei's direction. "Keep going, keep going!"

"What?" Canada was more than surprised senseless at the abrupt outburst from the state. Similar to their mother, each member of the family seemed to be able to speak quite loudly. The United States weren't the very best at controlling their emotions. "It's kinda late, eh?"

The fervent shake of the head showed Alaska's enthusiasm. "No, it isn't! At my house it's still sunny. Come on Uncle Matthew. What happened next? What did your bosses say? Did my dad stop you? Did my dad threaten you not to marry mom so that he could have her all for himself?" There was a fire in the boy's eyes now, and for a second, Canada felt a bit uncomfortable.

Chuckling half-heartedly, Matthew rubbed the back of his neck. What had he done? Would the preteen be able to go to sleep? Would he, himself, be allowed to go to bed that night?

"Please Uncle, you have to continue. I want to know more." Alaska had always been a quiet state, but even he had his enthusiastic moments. "Why was the secret service spying on you talking? Did mom even know they were watching you two? Did she get mad? How'd my dad find out about me? When does mom move in with dad? Did Eisenhower force her?"

Canada held up his hands, "Ok,ok, ok, I'll tell you more, but let me breathe, Andrei, please. I might be a nation, but I have to catch my breath too, you know?" He had to laugh at the boy's demands, nothing in the state's demeanor similar to Russia any longer.

Alaska's questions came to a screeching halt. The preteen blushed and looked down sheepishly. Noticing just how he rude he had been, the 49th state mumbled, "Sorry… Uncle Canada… Sir."

The older man responded to the apology with a genuine laugh, "It's ok. I'm happy that you're so interested in what I'm saying. I haven't been taken this seriously in a while; nice to be listened to now and again, I guess." The northern country stood up, "Let's take a quick break, eh? I need a glass of water if we're going to continue."

Nodding, his nephew watched him leave the sight of the webcam, Kumajiro following the exiting Canadian obediently. In the silence of his mother's room, the boy turned, whispering to himself, "I wonder where mom is?"

It was only then when he noticed a Skype alert popping up onto his mother's laptop's screen.

**Receiving Video Call: Russian Federation**

The poor state froze.

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*Boxing Day: Canada's equivalent to Thanksgiving's Black Friday, but right after Christmas.

**Get Circled: "Get Married" in 50s speak

***Writing a Book: "Asking to Many Questions" in 50s speak

****Wet Rag: "Not much fun" in 50s speak

It seems to me that the two are pretty close, though you have to expect it when Canada's fathered some of the states. My take on the state issue will be referred to later on, as America purchases territories before they become states bringing about the whole paternal issue. Lets say Emily has had an ulterior motive when conceiving a few of her states, but that will be explained another time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Cliffhanger! Yep, what'll happen next?

To be continued!

Review please!


	7. Chapter 6

Hello everyone, sorry for the long wait. I have so much work in real life, it's insane! So much political science and world history work to do. It's really cool and all, and being a political science major makes Hetalia just more interesting. Haha, well I hope readers are still out there. Please continue to send me some awesome reviews. I need them to fuel my thoughts, and force me to write instead of play Golden Sun Dark Dawn!

Ok you don't need to hear me anymore. Um, I'm going to try to speed it up, but I'm trying to set up for one of the most awkward reunions between father and son ever! I'm sorry for all the delays, Russia will come into the picture soon.

Thank you so much for reading.

_Italics=Chatspeak_

Note: Yes, America types quickly and doesn't notice many of her mistakes. The mistakes are on purpose.

Also, America uses human names and country names interchangeably if you haven't already noticed. She tends to start off with the country names before shifting to the human names. The human name seems to be used in more casual situations, but Emily seems to feel fine using them at her leisure unless she feels uncomfortable. Emily is a very welcoming person, and doesn't care what you call her unless, there's a rule about it or something. Even with Russia, America will be very open to greeting the nation by his human name. After a couple centuries, they can't help but act like coworkers. Of course the more comfortable, Emily is with a nation, the more she uses his or her human name.

Read and Review. Thank you so much.

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**Chapter 6 (Last Chapter is labeled wrong)**

December 26, 2010

11:30pm

Said mother was sitting at her desk downstairs in her office, the pair of reading glasses she rarely wore balanced low on the bridge of her nose while she worked. An array of paperwork was before the superpower, and though she would never admit it to any other country, Emily tried to really keep on top of things despite it being the holiday season. On occasion she'd take a beer with her as she worked, but with one of her states in the house, it was out of force of habit that she refused to drink. Even during the Christmas celebrations when she purchased the annual variety of liquor for her older kids, America preferred not to get intoxicated. She was perfectly fine watching her sons and a few of her daughters enjoy a few beers, but she regarded the holidays as a time of the year where she just had to be a little more aware of her surroundings than usual so as to allow her states to feel secure enough to celebrate the time of year.

Yeah, the United States was a workaholic, but she wasn't going to go around telling other nations that.

Her phone began to ring. Pausing, the American glanced at the caller id, before answering on speaker, "What's up, Cal?"

The sound of trucks and passing cars flowed into her room. California was using his Bluetooth on the freeway. "Hey mom, still up?"

"Yep, you're little brother's talking to your Uncle upstairs. I'm doing some paperwork. Everyone get home, alright?" The young mother replied, scanning over another document before stamping a big fat REJECTED upon the page. "Sorry, but I can't define marriage between a man and a woman; separation of church and state has its limits." She whispered to herself.

"Yeah, everyone survived the trip- though Hana decided to go swimming as soon as she got back and ended up breaking her new iphone in the process. She told me that she like forgot that she had it in her pocket or something like that." The nation could see her son roll his eyes at the thought. She couldn't help but do the same. "Which one of our many dysfunctional uncles is Alaska talking to?"

"Canada." Emily threw a few papers into the wastebasket under her desk, and scanned another stack of work. "Pass this message, will you, hijo? Tell Hawaii, I'm not paying for another one. We're short of cash as it is."

"Yes, ma'am." Her western son obediently answered before yawning, muttering a quick, "Man, I'm hella tired," under his breath.

Instinctively, America was quick to respond, "Drive carefully, Cal." She paused and glanced at the clock, but continued soon after, "So why'd you call?"

"Oh, yeah. Do we have to attend the State of the Union this year? I have like the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and the Grammys in the works; I don't think I can make it."

It didn't take her a second to consider an answer, "You know the answer to that, Angél. State of the Union is a mandatory occasion. Leave your people to oversee the entertainment business and do your job as a state. That means coming to the State of the Union address AND the Family meeting that follows. Don't give me the "I can't make it, I'm busy" spiel. I'm not buying it."

"But Mom!" The state let out a whine.

"Oh shut up, California." Emily answered flatly. "I know you're trying to escape those debt talks again. Did you want to ask me anything else that you don't already know the answer to?"

She received a sigh over the line, as well as something inaudibly whispered in a mix of Spanish, Mandarin, and English* from her son. "No, that's it. Feliz año nuevo, Mama."

"I'll talk to you again soon. Love you, Cal."

"Yeah, whatever." Was her only reply as the state hung up.

Emily shook her head, wondering what she actually did wrong for him to act like such a bitch. At least he obeyed… most of the time. In reality, the nation had predicted that her western state had merely called for the sole purpose of avoiding the annual family meeting; a time when things got down and dirty. As recent as the holiday get-together had been, the State of the Union Address was the most dreaded mandatory reunion of the year. The 50 would have to flock back to DC, this time, for the yearly heated debate on domestic issues, instead of Christmas presents. Having all her children stuck in a large conference room, made smaller by the number of her states, was and had always been Emily's worst nightmare, and yet, the female super power made sure to uphold the family tradition especially after the Civil War. Even if the meeting meant three straight days of fighting with her children over issues her kids hated to discuss, such as immigration, individual state debt, and other domestic matters, as well as calming old internal disputes such as the North and South, or East and West rivalries, the benefits outweighed the costs. As soon as the heat in the room had subsided most of her states were civil enough to establish the year's domestic agenda and present 50 plans of action in front of their mother in obedient fashion. With Mama America holding the federal purse strings, the states were all aware just how important it was to come to the State of the Union and present their hopes for the coming year, Emily's dysfunctional way of opening the New Year.

She glanced up at the three computer screens situated side by side on her desk. On the first showed the stock market report for the day, the variety of charts and graphs covering the screen. A few stock reports from other nations were present as well, currently going up and down as the countries on the other side of the world were currently awake and working out their own investments. The middle screen had a few extra reports and documents opened on its screen. On occasion a notification at the corner of the screen alerted her of any messages being received along with the state it entitled. Most of her kids knew well not to contact their mother after midnight, but if there was an emergency her computer or iphone was always on hand for an update. America's eyes scanned over one of the diagrams filling the second monitor. The military was planning to build new engines for the F-35s, and by the blueprints on screen, Emily knew it was going to cost a pretty penny.

A small ping drew the superpower's attention from her work to the last of the three monitors. Her gaze drifted from her status to her friends list and finally to the Facebook chat that had popped up from the bottom right corner of the computer screen.

Hey paperwork wasn't the same without Farmville.

_Hello?_ The chat greeting caught the nation by surprise. Emily tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and for a few moments stared at the word and the friend she had just received it from. Glancing quickly at the clock on her desk, she found it pleasingly unusual to find a familiar Russian actually taking time on Facebook.

_Yo! That u? U nvr get online_ Emily typed away, not being able to control the smile on her face at the sheer idea of Ivan using a computer for something as casual as an online networking site. From her previous experiences, Emily knew that the Eastern European nation had always preferred letters and phone calls over emails and text messages, so online chat spaces were a new place to find her fellow superpower.

_Amerika?_

_thats me! long time no chat, huh? the only time i ever see ur face online is wehn belarus posts her latest pics of u sleping or whatnot, lots of the time her status says lik she'll hav u 1 day or somethin. _

Giggling to herself, America snickered at the mental image of an extremely alarmed Russia trying to recall when he could have possibly become the target of his younger relatively unstable sister and her camera in the middle of the night. Nearly falling off her seat, Emily burst out in a full laugh when all she received in reply was her counterpart's emoticon.

_[[_*

_ish tru shes gonna end up lik raping u or soemthng _

_Thank you for the warning…Um… Amerika? Are you currently busy?_

_Just doing some paprwrk why?_

_We are still going to discuss the situation about Andrei, _Да?

_yah_

_I was able to speak with my superiors about the plan. They are not opposed to the invitation._

_thats good. Just cuz theyre ur bosses doesnt mean they don't remember being dads. _

_]] _

America paused in the middle of typing her reply to the simple response. She found herself grinning at the reaction, wondering whether or not Russia actually considered the fact that both his Prime Minister and President might have given him the ok due to it being a personal matter between the nation's child and himself. Obama was just as understanding, having allowed Emily to go along with her plan to have another country come visit without political reason.

_Amerika… Uh may I ask you something?_

_ok shoot_

_Two things… first could you please write a little more legitimately? It is difficult to read. I think many neurons have met an untimely end because of your lack of… punctuation. [[_

_X( picky. Fine. There, I listened to one thing. Careful, the next favor better be good cuz I ain't gonna let an ex-commie order me around! :P_

_What makes you confident that the boy will actually be willing to listen to me if I did go ahead with this plan of yours? None of your children are very welcoming of international visits, especially mine. All the states seem to be armed when I am in the country… and it is because of past suspicions… _

_Hey, my kids aren't that bad. Besides, I can't tell them to stop bringing a gun to every international meeting they get to attend on American soil without hearing one bitching about me ignoring constitutional rights. I really don't think you need to worry about Alaska, he's a lot better than you give him credit. _

_But will he listen to me… believe what I tell him? _

_Why are you freaking out about this so much? Did England tell you about his meeting with Mason because that is a really big exception. -_-' Massachusetts is the worst example of my kids you can use. _

_Mason? England?_

_Nevermind. Lets just say the first thirteen aren't as open to contacting their fathers as compared to the other states._

_Then what tells you, Andrei won't be any different?_

_Geez dude, because he just will be. The kid's been asking me about you since he could talk. He's not going to run for the hills once he sees your face, Ivan, Jesus._

_You don't have to get defensive._

_I'm NOT getting defensive. I'm just sick and tired of having to get over both of your guys' complexes. "Emily, what if he doesn't like me?" "Mom, what if in Moscow, dad goes freaking insane!" Ok, I was overexagerating on that last part, but seriously, you two have to calm down and just meet each other. I blame your genes for Andrei's incessant need to brood over every single thing! He's just like you!_

… _I don't know whether to be flattered or just alarmed at your thought process, Emily._

America scowled at the screen, suddenly irritated. Maybe it was just that her personality tended to make meeting new people easier than most. She couldn't understand what was so difficult about the two meeting each other. Allowing a few minutes to pass to check on the opposite screens again, Russia was quick to note her abrupt cyber silence.

_Emily, is something wrong?_

_No nothings wrong why?_

_Why are you hanging up on me? [[_

_What?_

_You did it again. This is not a humorous joke, Amerika. I apologize for upsetting you, but this is not nice. _

_I didn't do anything. maybe you got the wrong number_

_It states rather plainly that the United States of America is online… The call did not connect again._

_Look, I don't know what the heck you're_… Before the female nation could send her latest answer, Emily froze, realizing just exactly what the other country was doing. Deleting the last part she swiftly wrote, _Are you trying to use Skype?_

Да _I am, it will be simpler to talk this way. _

_Oh, well got to break some bad news to you big guy. My business computer doesn't have the Skype program downloaded on it. That was your son you've been calling._

Getting up from her seat, America sighed and chuckled. No reaction, not even an eyeless Russian emoticon popped onto her screen. The United States shook her head before heading upstairs. "Andrei Ivanovich Alaska Jones! I don't know what the heck you're doing up there but hanging up on your father three times ain't making a great first impression, kiddo."

December 27, 2010 Upstairs

12:15am

Hearing his mother's voice echoing into her bedroom as the superpower slowly approached the area of the house made Andrei's blood grow cold. With Emily calling out to him by his full name, the state was only certain that the nation wasn't the least bit happy with how he had reacted when seeing the identity of the country attempting to contact his mother over Skype. It was pretty much out of instinct that the boy had canceled the call three entire times and even if it had been the father he had never truly met, Alaska wasn't exactly entirely ready for a reunion.

Drawing his legs up to his chest, Andrei attempted to change the windows of the laptop screen as if it would make the evidence go away. And yet the three attempted contacts from the "Russian Federation" were not going to disappear anytime soon. He could hear America's approaching form and with every passing second, the nervous pounding in the state's head got louder and louder until finally he spun around and yelled out.

"I'm sorry! Cold War reflex!"

The statement was perfectly timed, forcing Emily to abruptly stop at the bedroom door in surprise. Blue meeting blue, the parent nation stared at her child's wide guilty eyes in a bit of surprise. Silence engulfed the two before Emily began to snicker. "W-What?"

Like most preteens were, Alaska attempted to explain in the best way he could the logic behind his excuse. The normally quiet state exploded into a string of details as to what brought him to make such an action expecting America to get angry at any moment. "Well, um… I mean… I was talking to Uncle Mat, see, and then, uh, he wanted to get water before telling me more of the story, but then while I was waiting, the caller alert popped up and when I saw the Russian Federation I was, like, oh my god, Communists!"

America placed her hands on her hips, a gentle smile appearing on her face, "Alaska-"

Of course it didn't make her son feel any better, "So I hung up, because you used to tell me if any communist called I shouldn't answer the phone. But when I canceled the call the first time, within, like, seconds, it popped up again. I thought maybe I didn't press the cancel button correctly so I did it a second time, but then after some more seconds, he was calling again!"

"Um, honey, it's-" Emily couldn't help but roll her eyes when she was interrupted once more.

"I mean, you told me how I shouldn't talk to strangers, and I was like, well I've never talked to the Russian Federation before, I really haven't talked to any other nation before other than Uncle Matthew, so I shouldn't try talking to him."

"Alaska-"

"And you were downstairs and I didn't want to interrupt. I know how busy you are and how you love working at midnight because you can keep up with what's happening in Europe and stuff."

His mother sighed, "Alaska-"

"And I mean, we're like going through this big financial crisis so of course you have to make sure everyone's stock markets are going ok. Oh and there's Afghanistan and Iraq to check up on."

"Alaska-"

"Oh and with the fifty of us, you're job's never done, right? And if random Communist nations are calling you in the middle of the night, who knows what they want from y-"

"Andrei!" A well manicured hand flew to the boy's mouth before Alaska could finish his last statement. Emily gave her youngest son a skeptical glance before shaking her head in disbelief. "Chill."

The room was quiet as the American slowly calmed her hyper state. Over his shoulder, Emily caught a glimpse of an empty room in her brother's home. "Ok, I heard you loud and clear, hun, but when I remove my hand you got to breathe, k?" Receiving a nod, America pulled her hand away and grinned, "You're as pale as sheet, baby. What? Did you think I was coming up here to kill you?"

Finally returning to his normal silent self, the boy sheepishly looked down at his hands in reply. His mother chuckled before giving him a quick peck on the forehead. Brushing by him, the female nation leaned down over the keyboard and clicked away for a few seconds, exiting out of the Skype call to her twin. Kept in his place, Andrei could not see what she was doing let alone typing. As quickly as she had started, America returned her attention to the state and released a breath. "I can't believe you remembered all that. You're dad's not even communist anymore."

Andrei didn't verbally reply, feeling pretty foolish for jumping to conclusions so quickly, but his mother's calm expression eased the boy's worries. Emily paused again, her eyes going to the screen behind her state before returning to Andrei. Aside from the relief finally calming Alaska's fear of his mother's wrath, something seemed off with Emily's reaction. Yes, America was a laid-back parent, but when it international issues got involved not even her most diverse states could avoid getting trouble for screwing something up. Alaska had clearly offended his father, and Cold War reflex or not, he had expected at least a playful threat or scolding from the superpower instead of the almost deflated surprise.

"Alaska, I need to ask you a question." Looking up, Andrei found his mother going from quietly amused to almost solemn in an instant. It was a change that made Andrei nervous again, for when Emily got serious it wasn't a good sign. Seeing that her state was giving her his undivided attention, America sighed and started to speak. "Are you sure you want to meet your dad?"

It was a sudden question; one that Alaska wasn't expecting. His mother wasn't exactly angry, but something in her cerulean gaze made him think that he had messed up in some way and she was giving him a chance to fix it. "Why would you-"

"Tell me the truth Alaska because I'm not sending one of my states all the way to Moscow knowing full well he'll see a communist instead of a father."

His mother's eyes were getting uncharacteristically cold as she watched him and waited for his reply. Swallowing, Andrei bobbed his head up and down.

"Tell me: When I talk about your father, how do you feel?" Mouth dry, the state was at a loss of words, but knew he had been cornered.

"Uh… I… feel… kinda… nervous, I think."

"You 'think'?"

"I am nervous… A little scared." Andrei could feel his face heating up under his mother's gaze. Why in the world was she interrogating him out of the blue? It wasn't like he could hide it from her either. When his mom demanded answers he just had to give them.

"Why?"

Emily's eyes had begun to soften with his last reply, but they were still empty of the warmth the mother possessed. Licking his lips, Alaska released a breath. "Because…. Because… Because you raised me to be this way." When America didn't react, Andrei continued, "When I was little, you'd never tell me about my dad. You'd just warn me not to get near him, not to talk about him, not to even ask you what he looked like. You'd get angry when any of us asked you about why communism was so bad. I remember how you were always stressing out over things the Soviet Union used to do. You used to say how you were protecting us all from a bad man…. so I ended up feeling the same way."

The silence that followed was deafening. America had finally heated up, her warmth returning as she grabbed her son in a strong hug. She released the preteen and took him by the shoulders. "Andrei, I want you to forget whatever I told you. I want you to forget anything I said about your father before ever telling you about your birth, understand that? It's time to get the facts straight. I want you to meet your dad and not think of him as anything else. Let mom deal with international drama, just enjoy having a dad, ok?"

Alaska could only nod, stunned by this turn of events. He still wasn't quite sure what had brought up this change in his mother's demeanor. Emily wasn't going to explain, pulling out her i-phone. On speaker, the dial tone filled the room twice before Canada's voice took its place. "Hey, what's going on?"

Voice rising a few octaves, Emily answered, "Sorry about hanging up. I had to have a little chat with Andrei on the consequences on hanging up on unsuspecting Russians."

"Ah, so does he want to hear more of that story?"

"Yeah he does." America answered for her mute child, handing the phone over to Andrei. She motioned him to get up, taking his seat in front of the laptop. "Why don't you head into the next room? I have to go apologize to your big old Russian of a father."

The state stood and looked at his mother for a moment until he started for the door, before he could leave Emily asked one more question. "Andrei."

"Yes, mom?"

"If your dad ever told you about your birth, well his side anyway, like your uncle is now, would you believe him?"

Surprisingly, Andrei didn't even need to think about the answer to that question. The 49th state nodded, politely smiling, "Yeah, I would."

Emily returned the expression with one of her own bright grins, shooing her son away until he was out of sight and out of earshot. With a long breath, she turned in her chair to her laptop again, maximizing the Skype window and giving Ivan an expectant look.

"You hear all that big guy? There's nothing to worry about now, is there?" She declared crossing her arms.

The Russian's expression was difficult to decipher, but just like his son, it wasn't hard for Ivan to reply, "I guess you're right, Emily… He's gotten very big." The man paused and sighed, but a gentle smile came to his face, "Does the 29th sound reasonable?"

Emily couldn't help but beam at the reaction from the Alaska's father, "Of course, the sooner you get here the better."

* * *

*[[, ]]: Russian emoticons don't have eyes. ] is a happy face. [ is a sad face.

This story is getting so long! I want them to really get the story rolling, but it's difficult when Russia's half way around the world for most of it, now isn't it? Alaska's going to get a very pleasant surprise on the 29th… And yes, Russia will be stateside for his birthday, but heck he's meeting his kid right? I would like that present. This chapter was really trying to establish the setting and relationship with America and her states. I had to add the depth to her characterization, so thank you for bearing with me.

Well, I have to study for my umpteenth midterm. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. For reading here is a preview of the next chapter, that I am currently rewriting because it didn't sound good enough for you guys.

_Preview:_

He received a wink. "Please, you just love bringing up all the problems. I thought it would be easier just to have you go in my place and I'd take care of the domestics here and up north. I mean, I think I've helped Ludwig settle things out. It's just really annoying trying to get Russia to let go of Gilbert's leash long enough for the guy to actually see his brother. What do you think of taking over the reigns for once and trying to persuade the stupid commie, my visibly-challenged brother?"

The thought was actually something Matthew found himself surprised to consider. The United States backing out and allowing Canada to actually have a say in the situation overseas. It was something he would have never imagined his sister actually bringing up as an option. "Hm." He found himself turning over the idea in his mind, "Well, if you nee-"

"Absolutely not." Diefenbaker's voice quickly snapped before his country could answer.

Oh also, to give me more time and to make updates a little more predictable, I will post a new chapter after I get** 15 reviews**. That'll give me enough time, you think?


	8. Chapter 7

Hey all, how's it hanging. Unfortunately, we weren't able to reach 20 reviews, so I pushed it down to 15 and hey, you guys hit that limit pretty well. **18** awesome reviews readers, pat yourselves on the back, you made this lazy college student actually work on the next chapter. Let's beat the record shall we? Invite some friends to come read this fanfiction… well you don't have to force them. Still, I'm grateful.

A number of you guys are asking questions about the story and all; you will get your answers. Please be patient. I don't have much to say, but thanks for reading.

Here's the chapter: Enjoy!

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

July 4, 1958

The clock hanging in the dining room ticked away, sounding so much louder in the silent room. Only the sound of the occasionally shifting secret service agent standing at the entry way of the eating area seemed to coincide with the clock. Canada, the president of the United States, and his own Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, sat mutely at the dining table, exchanging looks not words.

Matthew sat in front of the two country leaders from across the table, receiving inquisitive glances as if he could tell them why Emily had invited them over for her "birthday". He kept his violet eyes down, hands placed gently against his thighs, avoiding any sense of interest. It was times like these when he wished his international invisibility could be used at will, but there was no way Diefenbaker could ignore the nation. Canada swallowed, glancing up before looking back at his hands. The atmosphere in the room was unusually tense, despite the fact that this really wasn't his issue.

Well, it was now if he really was going to marry America.

"Argh!" A grunt coming from the agent broke into the tense silence. The man had been abruptly shoved aside by the door leading into the neighboring kitchen, which Emily hip-bumped open. The southern twin appeared in her bright and youthful glory, holding a tray of her home cooked hamburgers. Her blue eyes glanced in the agent's direction, eyebrow raised.

She spoke, "What are you doing standing in front of doors? You're not saving anybody by getting in people's way, kid." The authority in her voice coupled with her playful smile didn't match well together, but the human still blushed in embarrassment from being scolded by his nation, who was a good foot shorter than him.

The food was served by the grinning country, who kept on as she did so, "Hey you guys! Ya'll at a funeral or something? You two aren't ganging up on Mattie, are you?" America casually joked around, giving the bosses a skeptical glance, before placing the food in front of them. "Hope you washed your hands; the kids these days don't need utensils for this type of food."

Emily laughed to herself, her brother only accompanying her with a faint chuckle. Sliding into the chair beside him, the blonde tilted her head, "Ike, John, how the heck am I supposed to know you liked the food if you keep those grim expressions up. The least you can do is smile for my birthday."

It had a strange effect on people, Emily's voice, for as soon as she spoke the two leaders lightened up considerably. Maybe it was because her tone and just America's overall presence when at her Virginia home was incredibly maternal, coming from a nation with far more than enough experience with children. The meal began with continued silence, though the twins did exchange a few statements with each other while their bosses did the same. Yet there was an evident wall of propriety that split the two parties in half, making it difficult for the bosses to interact with their nations on a personal level.

"Em." Matthew ended up muttering under his breath while the president and prime minister were distracted by a heated conversation on the best hook to use when catching Canadian bluegill*.

His sister turned around from a recent bite of her burger, mumbling a "Hm?" in reply. Canada rolled his eyes.

"Are you really going to tell them?" The Canadian asked waiting for his sister to swallow for her response.

America nodded before pulling away when her twin attempted to wipe her face with a napkin. Emily's glare subsided when she wiped her lips herself. "Don't touch my face, Mattie. You know I've hated people touching my lips since the revolution." She sighed, "Don't worry about it. I'll tell 'em over dessert."

"We have dessert too?"

This time it was his sister's turn to roll her eyes answering, "Duh, it's the fourth of July and I'm eating for two. I have some ice cream in the ice box!"

The northern nation pursed his lips and took a sip of water. The cup went to the table again when the man leaned back and brought his arm around the back of his twin's chair in a protective gesture. "Em, you better know what you're doing… and I'm not just talking about this pregnancy. Even if Russia doesn't find out, how are you going to keep this whole thing a secret? You spend quite a bit of time in West Germany with the occupation and all, but if the Soviets have the East, you're not going to be able to keep the pregnancy under wraps for very long."

He received a wink. "Please, you just love bringing up all the problems. I thought it would be easier just to have you go in my place and I'd take care of the domestics here and up north. I mean, I think I've helped Ludwig settle things out. It's just really annoying trying to get Russia to let go of Gilbert's leash long enough for the guy to actually see his brother. What do you think of taking over the reigns for once and trying to persuade the stupid commie, my visibly-challenged brother?"

The thought was actually something Matthew found himself surprised to consider. The United States backing out and allowing Canada to actually have a say in the situation. It was something he would have never imagined his sister actually bringing up as an option. "Hm." He found himself turning over the idea in his mind, "Well, if you nee-"

"Absolutely not." Diefenbaker's voice quickly snapped before his country could answer.

The wall was shattered, the bosses relentlessly breaking into the conversation. The change in atmosphere was swift and abrupt, Matthew pulling his arm away from his sister in attempts to hide his previous considerations. Distancing themselves, the siblings glanced at each other before looking across the table at the leaders of their countries. Canada's Prime Minister raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, Canada. Was there something you two were discussing? I only heard the part about you getting involved in Germany. Taking responsibility of an US occupation zone isn't exactly what I was expecting to hear today."

"I wasn't expecting to hear that either, Jones." America's boss added, keeping his hands clean. "Are we discussing politics now?"

Religion and politics, subjects America hated bringing up at the dining table. Shaking her head, the only female in the room laughed, her voice a high giggle, "Oh, don't get all steamed just cuz I brought up the idea of having Mattie do a few errands for me while I'm on maternity leave."

Diefenbaker crossed his arms, but was smiling gently (mainly out of politeness), "Is she talking about the Alaska Territory, Ike?"

"Yes, the territory petitioned for statehood a few days ago, though I'm surprised that she would bring it up at a time like this. Did you pull through with your end of the bargain, Jones?" The American leader responded, eyes going to his nation with an expectant glance.

Not as sore as before, the blonde female crossed her arms over her bust with confident resolve. "Actually, I did, Ike." Her blindingly bright smile appeared again. "Matthew's going to marry me, aren't you Canada?" The sight of her twin biting his bottom lip with uncertainty while looking at his boss derailed Emily's happy expression for a moment, but she brought it back in record time.

As the northern sibling failed to give her a reply, Emily returned her attention to the bosses. "Matthew and I can get married as soon as possible, so you won't have to do much more of the work. Being neighbors and all, I was thinking that we won't need to stay in the same house and all. We'd just pay each other monthly visits and go on with our lives as if nothing's changed."

The lack of agreement in the room forced the American to close her mouth. No one tried to speak after her, as the two bosses and Canada took a few moments to go over the female's proposal.

She felt sick when the Prime Minister moved his head from side to side. "Canada."

"John, please reconsider." Matthew finally returned, able to tell from his leader's demeanor his opinion on the matter. "The United States is an ally, and my sister. The merger will be temporary at best. She just needs a bit of support with the pregnancy this time around."

Violet meeting blue, the gentle look the two exchanged was enough to make America feel a little better, though not for very long. "I'm sorry Ike, but this proposal isn't exactly coming at a welcome time." The Canadian human turned speaking to the American calmly.

"I understand. She isn't serious about this type of thing, John. Our current alliance is enough for the time being." Eisenhower answered.

"No, it isn't." The stubborn female nation returned, "You wanted me to find a husband, right? I thought that was the deal."

The President glanced at Emily before shaking his head, overlooking her comment to continue to excuse his country for her outlandish proposal. He was playing kind and understanding diplomat, a role she wanted to replace with nationalistic supportive leader. Eisenhower spoke to the Canadian Prime Minister in an even tone, "Please forgive Emily here. She tends to jump into affairs that are far from appropriate." Ignoring the way the female was sending harsh glares in his direction, the President waved his hand as if he was waving the entire idea away, "We are truly trying to keep from getting Canada too involved with our current predicament, John."

Diefenbaker merely nodded before giving his take on what the other had just said. "Well, that's something I'm happy to hear, Ike. Though I do assure you that Canada will remain an ally of the United States, I can't agree to the idea of having the two nations actually join in any sort of way. We made an agreement with you on NORAD already."

"Yes, yes, I know. Please disregard everything that she's been saying, John."

Despite such a blatant show of obstinate refusal on both bosses' parts, Emily had remained mute for the time being. The expression on her face, however, evidently showed otherwise, the nation not holding back when showing her complete hate for these two men, acting as if she wasn't even in the room. Her eyes were nothing more than a harsh stare as she gritted her teeth to refrain from practically exploding. If her boss had been alone, it wouldn't have been difficult for the mother to completely rebut such statements being made, but around the Canadian Prime Minister there were rules of conduct on an international level that not even the willful nation could break. She held herself back, ready to snap. Her twin did his best to calm the expectant female, taking her hand in his aside from the look he got from his human superior. "I… I apologize for interrupting, but as I said before John, the merger will be temporary and will not pose any shift in Canadian foreign policy." Even for the soft-spoken nation, Matthew's voice came out steady, with purpose. "Could we discuss this before making a final decision?"

Receiving both humans' attentions without comment the Northern nation nodded, and explained. "I understand your preference to keep from getting involved, but we are asking for this merger on a personal basis. Emily is pregnant with the representation of the 49th state, but being the United States' tense relations with the Soviet Union, for the child's sake I find that joining with her for the time before the child is born would be the best solution. This is the Alaska territory we are referring to, which shares borders with much of the Canadian mainland, and is rather close to Soviet territory."

Patiently listening, the men exchanged looks and for a moment looked close to actually conceding. Though Matthew's form of persuasion comprised of direct and yet gentle words, not even he could hit the two hard enough to get either to rethink his decision. With no change in sight, the southern twin released a frustrated sigh with a shake of her head. She got up from her seat and placed her hands onto the dining table. "Why? Why not?" Emily demanded.

Before an answer could come to her, the sound of the secret service agent taking a step in her direction made it apparent there would be no arguing the President or the Prime Minister down on this one. "Canada is your brother, isn't he?" Diefenbaker countered.

Taken aback, America failed to give him an answer.

"What?" Canada found himself stuttering, "John, that doesn't actually have anything to do with this."

"I think it does. One of the main reasons Emily is to get married is because she is presenting herself as a respectful woman for the rest of society. If you two get together, it doesn't actually offer a decent image of either Canada or United States." America's boss was quick to add.

This did not bode well with the female nation. It was clear on her face that she was using the last of her self control not to just flip the entire table over. Emily exhaled again. Matthew attempted to reason once more, "John, Dwight. It might be apparent that Emily and I are far closer than most nations to the point of calling each other siblings, but with countries-"

"Give it a rest, Mat. They're not going to understand, humans rarely do." With three pairs of eyes on the superpower, Emily made no sign of being uncomfortable. Yet it wasn't her nature to have held out this far, without actually pushing for her side. Violet met blue of a second, and the Canadian understood, not even Emily found this battle worth fighting, especially not in her condition.

"Jones?" Eisenhower queried hesitantly, finding Emily's lack of rebuttal something to worry about.

"I give up." America began taking up the empty plates of food from the table in too calm of a way. "I get it, ok? Canada and I can't get hitched. Party's over."

They watched her clean the dining room of the meal in uncharacteristic silence. Not even looking up, she exited the room passed the agent, the men left behind.

She didn't come back.

With the absence of the Southern Twin, the tension in the room returned. For a few moments, the silence from earlier permeated into the space once more, before Canada cleared his throat. Looking directly at his bosses, the nation tried again, insisting for his sister's cause.

"If not… could I propose a reasonable alternative?"

December 27, 2010

1:30am

For the umpteenth time, Uncle Matthew was met with a lack of reaction. His words faded away as he left that faithful day to return to the present. The Northern Nation waited, knowing full well his nephew had to think the story through before giving his reaction.

But after a few moments, nothing came.

Canada narrowed his eyes and pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. Listening to the silence from the other line, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile. The man chuckled, petting Kumajiro who had sat and listened to the story beside him, commenting quietly to himself, "Hmm, looks like the story got too heavy for him, eh Kumajiro?"

Alaska, of course, couldn't hear his soft-spoken Uncle, caught up in his own dreams, asleep on the couch downstairs. The state's even breath gave nothing away except that Canada no longer had an audience. Who knew when the boy had stopped listening? Matthew crossed his arms, picturing the boy's placid sleeping face. He smiled not exactly sure what he was supposed to do now.

As if on cue, he caught the sound of Emily strolling into the room. It didn't take long for her eyes to drift onto the snoozing form of her youngest son, out like a light with the i-phone lying loosely in his hand. The woman neared the boy, taking the phone away while hearing Canada whisper through the speaker, "Passed his bedtime, eh?"

"I guess so. Sorry about that, Mattie."

Shrugging, the male didn't take it to heart. "It's late. I doubt you would have been able to keep awake listening to the time our bosses gave us a hard time about getting married and all."

His sister nodded, going over the ways she could get her son to the bed without waking the state up. She placed the mobile in her pocket, speaking as she circled the preteen, "Never liked that story. I was so knotted up inside. I couldn't fight back and I didn't want to lose him by arguing with Eisenhower…" Finding the perfect opportunity, the mother slid her arms underneath Andrei's legs before hoisting the boy, aside from his size, up without difficulty. Her son snored on, "… but I didn't want to lose you either, so reasoning out with Diefenbaker wasn't an option."

Her brother listened to her quietly, gently smiling. Though the northern twin couldn't see his sister, he had a clear mental image of the parent of fifty take her son upstairs and tuck her child under the covers, spoiling the child in a way she couldn't do when sharing her time with his more competitive siblings. She kissed her child on the forehead, not interrupting her son's slumber.

"Hey, Em."

America pulled her eyes away from her son's sleeping form to place the phone against her ear. "Yeah, Mattie?"

"It's strange how so much can change in a little over half a century." Leaning against his hand, Canada released a breath and nudged his own phone around. "It's hard to believe that we made it this far."

Emily left her child's side to sit in front of her laptop where she had just finished her conversation with Russia. She placed her hands behind her head and pursed her lips, "Naw, not really. I knew we'd make it." The woman flashed her brilliant smile with the confidence only America could pull off. "Of course, back then, I have to admit, things weren't exactly going in my favor. The bosses were being douche bags. Ivan just wanted to piss me off. Internally, I felt like was I was about to blow… feeling like such a fool when the 60s came around and everyone was just pointing fingers. 'Overthrow Imperialist America. America doesn't care about the minority and Third World People! Racism. Black Nationalism. Tear Down the Institution!' What a Nightmare. What a damn nightmare, though Ivan wasn't so lucky either. He was desperate enough to build a physical wall in Berlin, as if that could actually stop anyone."

Matthew held his tongue for a moment as his sister released a heavy audible sigh, her smile flattened out by decades old bottled up emotions. Alaska had been much too young and too isolated to have felt any of the blunt force that came during the decade after his birth. At the least, he had survived such a decade, and had been growing considerably since then, barely seven inches shorter than his parent nation. "Hey, hey. It's over now. The past is the past; there are a lot of things we can't help but regret. What's the point stressing yourself over something you can't change?"

Laughing quietly to herself, his sister nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She mumbled grinning. "Shoot, Canada. It really sucks to be a superpower sometimes. I can't catch a break."

"Well, that's why I like keeping it on the down low, I guess. Just old invisible Canada." The man chuckled but was empathetic with his words, "You hang in there, America. Just because I might be a fellow country, I still don't think I'd want to see you quitting any time soon."

Her gusto returning, Emily straightened up. "You got it, bro." The woman glanced at the sleeping Andrei behind her. "Hey, thanks for telling Andrei everything. Too bad, he fell asleep."

"Don't mention it. I was at the part when I was able to persuade Eisenhower to pass the petition and give you more time to get married, though as I recall, you weren't happy about my… um plan B."

"Tch, don't remind me… I was desperate. What else could I do? I really didn't have much of a choice anymore. Arthur owed me so I guess you made the right choice to bring him up. I think he was the only guy Eisenhower was going to let me "marry" anyway." Emily paused to yawn, "It wasn't like I did though. I ended up getting stuck with Russia."

It was getting late, both knew it was time to head to bed themselves. Readjusting his glasses again, Matthew agreed, "True. Speaking of Russia, why were you talking to him earlier? If you don't mind me asking. You don't normally choose to video chat with him very often."

With another yawn, Emily easily obliged, "Just looking for another source of the story. Let's just say, I'm going to have one eventful New Years."

Eyes widening, the Canadian queried, "Wait, you actually got him to-"

"Shh, Andrei's asleep." Emily whispered in response, "It'll do them both some good to get to know each other before the big trip."

"If that's the best way." Canada sighed, "It's late, eh? I'll talk to you again soon, maybe after you sort things out with Russia. Good night, Emily."

She bobbed her head up and down, "Good night. Love you, Matthew."

"I love you too, sis."

* * *

*Both Eisenhower and Diefenbaker got along well especially when discussing one of their favorite pastimes, fly fishing!

Note: If these is anything confusing or anything that you are curious about send me a message through your review, I'll either reply to you or place the answer to your question within the coming chapter.

Well, there you have it, Chapter 7. I hope you guys are still enjoying it as much as I am. More lovely North American exchanges, but in about three chapters, Russia should be taking an active part in this process. Yes, I have chapter 10 all planned out, it's just getting there that's hard. Summer's coming so keep posting those reviews and you'll see the chapters coming in much faster! Not much to say here except thank you for reading and reviewing. Next chapter will by in** 20 reviews (not just for this chapter, but other chapter reviews count as well). **If you can give me that many, I know I can keep going. You guys can do it. Remember, it's what fuels me to write fanfiction instead of my college papers on female virginity in Medieval Christianity.

I do have a question for you readers: From this point forward I can either continue at this pace with chapters this length every time you reach the quota, or to begin writing longer chapters to increase the pace of the storyline. Of course it will take a bit longer for me to update so more storyline at a slower speed. So which would you like me to do?

Thanks so much. See you next time.

Preview:

"I really think it was that bloody frog's fault. As I do recall, Canada brought this up with France around the time Emily was working out the details with me. France told Spain, of course knowing Spain's loud trap of his, he let it slip to Romano, that is South Italy by the way, then this was spread to Feliciano, and as Italy and Germany weren't contacting each other much around the time, he passed it through Hungary then Austria who ended up telling Germany. Germany told his brother, you might know him as East Germany, but most of us just call him Prussia, it's a long story why, lad. Unfortunately, this was the 1950s, before the Iron Curtain, mind you, but once Prussia had it, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, AND Belarus were all aware that your mother was having the Soviet Union's child during the bloody Cold War!"


	9. Chapter 8

Hello readers! Once again we did not hit the review mark, but because I don't want you guys to be left hanging longer than necessary I'm gonna sit happy with the 13 this time around… What happened to my other 5 readers, there were 18 last time… Haha, never mind that, I love my reviewing readers too much to make them wait during the summer. Thank you everyone who continue to review. I want to keep getting your feedback on the fic as it continues. Also, as summer has begun, I have a bit more time to write so expect new chapters sooner.

That's all. Hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Oh special thanks to Meirin (who I can't reply to privately) for noticing a slight grammatical issue. I love the critique!

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

**December 27, 2010**

10:17am

The scent of bacon was a surprising smell to the 49th state as Andrei sluggishly sat up in bed. Rubbing his eyes, the preteen blinked away the weight of sleep on his eyelids with a yawn before stretching and drinking in his surroundings. It took a moment to register his mother's bedroom, the familiar dark blue sheets and the large American flag framed over the bed's dark oak headboard only meant that he had spent the night in his mother's room. There seemed no sign of America, however, though the scent of frying breakfast foods seemed to give her location away pretty quickly.

Alaska slipped out of bed and padded into the carpeted hallway, following the smell of bacon and eggs. As he headed in direction of the kitchen, descending the stairs slowly as his groggy-brain took its time to fully wake up, the smells were joined by the sounds of a sizzling pan and his mother's voice, currently in mid-conversation. Appearing around the corner, Andrei had to stop and take in the sight of America cooking breakfast, something Emily was rarely found doing. Normally it was fend for yourself when it came to breakfast, that or they went out to ihop. If she didn't need to, Emily did not take the time to actually put breakfast together, especially if only one her kids was in the house.

"If you're picking up Nicholas from the airport, I don't think it'll be much more of a hassle if you'd pick him up too, hun." Emily spoke into the wireless phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear, keeping her hands free to butter the toast she was serving. "Nick's coming in at ten isn't he? Could you just wait an extra hour before the flight from Edwards comes in? Besides, he's not going to get very far before the MPs realize there's a "non-american" on base unless you're there to get him clearance."

Andrei cocked his head to the side in curiosity only to yawn soon after. America turned around at the sound, smiling, "Oh, good morning sunshine, come in and grab a plate, breakfast will be done in a sec." The blonde nation paused as she listened to the next part of her conversation, "No, I wasn't talking to you, Virginia. Your little brother's finally up. Yes, he's still here."

His mother handing him a plate from her place at the kitchen counter, Emily winked at her son before throwing some newly buttered toast on the dish. Glancing down then back up again, Alaska looked at the food thoughtfully, "You actually made breakfast, mom."

"Yeah, yeah, hell's frozen over, I know." Emily jokingly answered him. As his mother continued to speak to one of the older thirteen, the state helped himself to the eggs and bacon that had already been served. Alaska sat down to eat but took the opportunity to listen in on his mother's affairs.

"Well if I hadn't have known you'd be heading to the Norfolk airport, I wouldn't have asked. Sheesh, can't you just listen to your mother for once without sounding like California?" America went silent before chuckling, "Don't like being compared to him, do you? Then stop making a big deal about things just because your mom's actually asking a favor."

Finishing the rest of the bacon, the United States took up some breakfast for herself and sat down beside her son after pouring him a glass of milk and some coffee for herself. She crossed her legs as she continued to speak, "Virginia, I just need you to pick him up and take him over. Shoot, it ain't gonna kill ya'." It took a few moments, but it seemed like the 10th state finally obliged. "Thank you, hun. By your sudden enthusiasm, I'm surprised you're this easily peeved when it has nothing to do with your own old man. Speaking of which, I do hope you called him to wish him happy holidays. Better have or I'm calling Wes if you're lying."

While Andrei chewed softly to himself, he felt more curious at his mother's dialogue with his older sister, Virginia Jones. By the sound of the talk, it seemed that his mother was expecting a guest, though his sibling didn't seem the least bit happy to being asked to pick the visitor up. What's more, the visitor, a foreigner no less, was landing within one of the nation's many military bases, into which all 50 states had unlimited clearance. The boy was surprised at best, especially because Virginia was known to be the most obedient of the thirteen, living so close to their mother. Even when the older state tried to be difficult, Emily knew how to get Wesley Vincent Charles Jones, her West Virginian son, to get practically anything out of his older sister. With it being apparent that Virginia was going to be at the airport to pick up New York anyway, Andrei personally felt like she really had no excuse not to listen to their parent nation.

Emily hung up as soon as she exchanged good byes with her daughter. Sighing, she placed the phone down and glanced at Alaska, silently eating his breakfast in the calm, indifferent manner he was notorious for. His cerulean gaze meeting hers, the preteen state swallowed and took a gulp of milk before greeting his mother, "Morning, mom."

"Morning to you too, kiddo. Look's like you finally decided to join the world of the living. How'd you sleep?"

He didn't really have to think about his reply. "Good. Sorry for sleeping in your bed."

Consuming her own meal, Emily ruffled her son's hair only making the bed-head even worse. "S'ok. You slept in my stomach for about 8 months, can't say I can complain having my own kid sleeping in my bed." She laughed, "Though you make sure to thank your Uncle for enlightening you to sleep, hm?"

The boy paled at the thought, "Oh shoot. I did fall asleep. What happened?"

"Well, he must've been covering one of the less interesting parts of this story of ours, and sleep must have caught you before you realized it."

Alaska shook his head, "No, not that. I mean the story. What happened? When did I fall asleep? I mean… I remember him saying stuff about his Prime Minister not wanting him to get involved… but then…"

"You fell asleep."

Nodding, the state turned red in embarrassment. "Oops."

The American mother gave her son a gentle grin and placed her hand under his chin so that he could face her, "And this is why, I don't let you kids deal with other countries by yourself. You end up hanging up on the Russian Federation and falling asleep while listening to Canada. Oh well, don't sweat it, kiddo. Your uncle forgives you. It was late, and we had woken up at 4 in the morning to make sure your siblings got to the airport on time."

"Did I miss a lot… of the story I mean." Andrei asked slowly, trying to wrap his mind around what he last remembered.

Continuing to eat, the nation was quiet. She allowed herself time to finish the entire plate without much of a wait on her child's part. "No. Pretty much our bosses were being jerks and Mattie ended up persuading them to let me marry England instead. Took me a few days to accept the idea, but your Uncle, thank god, kept Eisenhower from being all 'I'm vetoing the state because you can't be a domestic housewife'. So I got a few extra days before getting ready for the wedding. You're siblings, once they heard who I was going to be tying the knot with, were NOT happy. That's pretty much it in a nutshell."

Leaning back in his chair, the boy contemplated on his mother's words for a few moments before looking at the phone his mother had placed on the table. He motioned at it almost innocently, "Is someone coming to visit?"

Emily flashed her blinding smile in the state's direction and gave him a playful wink. She didn't give him a straight answer making Alaska even more curious. "Maybe…" For a moment the two stared at each other, as if daring the other to try to push for more before America reached out and wiped a bit of toast from her child's cheek.

"Argh, Mom!" Calling out, Andrei tried to pull away, only to be further anchored down by America's inhuman strength. She giggled as she rubbed his face of the breakfast in a motherly fashion. Alaska shook his head, whining, "Mom… let… go!"

She released him calmly, smiling as if she had done nothing wrong. Blue orbs trailing her son as he ran the back of his hand across his face and shot her a failed glare, Emily softly laughed. Silence took over again.

"Mom," Alaska finally began again, "So… uh, what happened next?" His face looking down, he glanced up almost bashfully.

"Well, a lot did, kiddo." Emily replied simply. It wasn't until she paused when her son noticed her hesitance. For the passed few instances, America seemed a lot less open, which only told the northern state one thing, his parent nation wasn't in the mood to go on. The female nation had a tendency to slip in and out of conditions of openness. Whatever had just come to mind must have brought her to close up to her youngest son's disappointment. Something was distracting Emily, and even if Andrei wasn't one of the closest of her children, it was notoriously evident that his mom's mind was on something else.

It only further stirred the young state's curiosity, "Is something wrong, mom?" The grin that gentled on his mother's face in his direction made him self-consciously redden. "Uh… If you're busy or something… or if you don't want to tell me any more… I'm ok with that… I guess."

A hand on his head, made him stop. Emily shook her head, "No, no. I promised you I'd tell you everything, didn't I? Does your mother lie, Andrei?"

"No."

"Good." The young superpower ran a hand through her hair before continuing, "Ok, let's try this on for size, huh? I got some things at work to sort out today and some errands to run. Before I keep going, can I get this stuff done, baby?"

He felt his heart sink at this, but Alaska had no choice but to accept Emily's words. There were sacrifices that the states had to swallow with such a powerful mother. Most likely America had to talk to the boss about Iraq or Afghanistan, or if not, some other international or domestic issue. Sighing, Andrei nodded his head, but didn't meet Emily's eyes.

The apologetic gaze Emily returned went unnoticed by the state as she stood from the table and left the room to grab her bag and prepare for exiting the house into the frigid cold. She was quick to return however, and in one sudden motion she dropped a large pile of books upon the kitchen table with a thud.

Andrei practically jumped out of his skin, eyes growing several sizes as he looked at the books in front of him in awe. Before long, Emily swiftly came to explain.

"I hate to do this to you, especially during your vacation, but I need you to do me a favor." Placing a hand on the books the country had put on the surface, she winked, "Get the hang of your old man's language."

"What?"

"Russian, eskimo. Remember when I was talking to your dad last night? Well, according to him, he won't be speaking a lick of English to you during your trip. He says, you're learning Russian one way or another, and if you have to get accidently kidnapped by human traffickers before you do, he's willing to do it… damn commie… I mean jerk." The blood had drained from the state's face at the thought. Swallowing, the boy grabbed one of the books and gingerly fingered through the pages. The Cyrillic alphabet swimming around in Alaska's poor disoriented mind, Andrei begged his mom with his eyes. She only placed her hands on her hips, "Come on, Andrei. It's not going to be that hard. All you need to know is, "Hello", "Good bye", "Please and Thank You", "Where's the bathroom?" and "Please, don't kill me or my mom'll nuke Moscow."

Giggling, the woman ruffled her son's silver locks as he poured over the text in continued confusion. She gave a quick peck on the cheek before heading for the door, leaving with a maternal, "Lock the door after I leave, Alaska. Удачи! I think that means 'Good Luck,'-heck I don't remember."

Obediently, the state began to do as his mother told him, slightly overwhelmed but a little fearful about his mother's warning. What if his father did exactly what his mother said he'd do? What if he did get lost in the middle of Russia and no one knew how to speak English? The thought was alarming to say the least, only further inspiring the preteen to put even more into studying, though not even a state could learn a language overnight. Minutes passed Alaska only getting further confused by the foreign language.

By the point Alaska was ready to throw in the towel, the phone was quick to interrupt his moment of despair. Watching the telephone ring for a second, the state pulled himself from the table and to the wall phone in silence. He glanced at the first and only book he had looked through with a sigh. Andrei brought the phone to his ear, greeting politely, "Hello, Jones residence."

"America?" An accented voice came over the line. "Wait, did I call Canada again by mistake? Oh dear, I apologize, Ca-"

"No, this is Alaska." Even if he wasn't exactly his favorite uncle, Andrei couldn't help but feel slightly exasperated at the sound of the Englishman on the other line. "Hello, Mr. England."

There was a moment of silence as if the older nation couldn't quite believe who he was hearing. "Alaska, well hello my good boy. Merry Christmas. What are you doing at Emi- you're mother's?"

With another look at the difficult Russian textbooks on the table, the boy plainly answered, "Learning how to speak in Russian" He stopped, only to quickly add, "Merry Christmas, sir."

"Ah…" It wasn't like England was going to understand the answer he received, but the Island nation feigned comprehension to keep the conversation going. "Well… uh… good luck with that, I guess… Eh… Why exactly are you learning to speak in that language, Alaska?"

It wasn't extremely difficult to sense that of all things, the United Kingdom wasn't the least bit comfortable speaking with the states of his ex-colony, not many countries actually were. It was a rule of the thumb not to interact too openly with any of Emily's many children or face some dire consequences. Even if he had fathered a majority of the first thirteen, Arthur knew that messing with the states had resulted in the Revolution, and since then had rarely, if ever, brought them up when speaking to their superpower of a mother. The only interesting thing to Andrei, of course, was the fact that the Brit hadn't made it apparent he had no idea where Alaska was, which was most likely the case. Emily might have been pretty lousy with maps of anything other than the US, but it wasn't like any of the other countries could tell her where South Dakota was.

"So I won't get kidnapped when I go visit my dad." Andrei evenly replied. "Do you want to speak to mom?"

Sensing the relief of the other nation over the phone, Andrei smiled to himself as England went on, "Yes please. Is she available?"

"No." It was another tradition specifically between the fifty states to be relatively unhelpful when speaking to another country. There was a big rule about being polite with other countries, especially to their mother's allies, but many of the states, Alaska included, preferred to deflect any international advances. She just got too involved sometimes, and it was a task for the family to try to restrain the famous "watchdog" of the world. Alaska wasn't even the worst, if Mason Boston Jones had answered England, the older state would have burst into a string of curses incomprehensible to even his siblings. "Sorry, she left and hasn't come back yet."

"Oh, I see."

The silence that followed only made Alaska realize that he could turn this phone call into something useful. Besides, why would he have to learn Russian now if he had a few more months before he could go visit his father anyway? "Hey, Mr. England?" Mr. England was really supposed to be Uncle England, but even then some states preferred to call him Grandpa just to piss him off. "Did you really marry my mother in 1958?"

The question only quickly surprised the country, and if Alaska could see the man's face he knew it would have gone red in an instant, "What! N-No, of course not! I would never- I mean- You did say 1958, did you not? Wait- Well, there was this- Hold on, why are you even asking?"

"Because Mom told me she had to marry you before I was born."

"Uh… Hmm… I wouldn't actually say that is a false piece of information." England returned with a matter-of-fact tone. The nation had been caught off guard, but knowing how easy it was to get answers about Emily out of the Brit Alaska took a second to get the man saying more.

"So, you said yes, right? Was it a big wedding?"

" 'Big'? I wouldn't exactly say it was a large event. We didn't even start the damn ceremony because that Russia got in the damn way!" Notorious for his story-telling the Brit clicked his tongue, "First, that mother of yours thinks it's completely fine getting married out of the blue, as if it's really that easy. She gives us a month to prepare and then after working my backside off to organize everything for the event, that bloody Soviet decides that it'll be oh-so easy to start wide-spread pandemonium by dropping in unannounced and going on about how he never received an invitation."

Interest gnawing at the state's insides, Alaska noticed how widely he was grinning. The story was getting good. His mom and northern uncle had left off at the best part. "Wait, how'd my dad find out about mom and you! Did he know about me?"

"Hmph, by the time he was tried to get his ass run over, he seemed to know everything."

"How?"

England took in a breath and began to explain, quite fervently at that. It seemed that the story had actually hit a cord, maybe because it resulted in him losing the opportunity to get back together with America or maybe it meant allowing America to place herself in a situation way to gutsy for his taste. Nevertheless he continued with his rant, "I really think it was that bloody frog's fault. As I do recall, Canada brought this up with France around the time Emily was working out the details with me. France told Spain, of course knowing Spain's loud trap of his, he let it slip to Romano, that is South Italy by the way, then this was spread to Feliciano, and as Italy and Germany weren't contacting each other much around the time, he passed it through Hungary then Austria who ended up telling Germany. Germany told his brother, you might know him as East Germany, but most of us just call him Prussia, it's a long story why, lad. Unfortunately, this was the 1950s, before the Iron Curtain, mind you, but once Prussia had it, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, AND Belarus were all aware that your mother was having the Soviet Union's child during the bloody Cold War!"

Alaska listened on, as the nation stopped to catch his breath. International gossip spread like the plague, but Andrei was surprised that the news of his existence had been passed on so rapidly. He almost felt proud.

"So what happened when my dad crashed the wedding?" The state further queried. "Weren't you guys really freaked out about it?"

"Truthfully Alaska, we were terrified." The emotion died behind the Brit's words, bringing back the solemnity back into the event, "When Russia appeared he went straight for your mother. It seemed, at the time, that he was going to kill her."

The state felt like a candle inside him had abruptly been blown out. His previous excitement was gone, the image of his an almost peaceful meeting between his mother and father scribbled upon only to be replaced by a scene of his father attempting to murder Emily pregnant with him or not. Shaking his head, almost in denial, Alaska had to know more, "And-?"

There was a sigh over the other line, as the Englishman contemplated whether or not to go on. "Are you confident that you actually want to hear this Alaska? Why would you want to know?"

"Well, mom's been telling me the story about the time before I born. She said she lived with my dad for a little bit when she was pregnant."

"Hmph, more like she was forced to stay with that lunatic or face him threatening her child's life." The statement continued to make Andrei's blood grow cold. He felt sick, regretting ever asking the question. Emily's 49th state remained quiet trying to get over such an explanation. Glancing in the direction of the Russian textbooks on the dining table, the boy shook his head. He had to get more detail. This couldn't be the whole story.

"Um… Mr. England… Sir…" Taking a deep breath, Alaska chose his words wisely, "…could you elaborate on what happened? Why would he do that? Did he really not want me to exist?"

This time it was Arthur's turn to pause, going over the consequences of his words. When he finally spoke, his tone was authoritative as if he was legitimizing his reason for speaking, "Well, knowing how your mother seems to love skewing history in her favor, I assume you must think Russia was a complete bastard, don't you?" He didn't give Andrei time to react, "Back then, even today, that man has always been a rather complex individual. I doubt your mother would actually admit this, but it wasn't difficult to tell that beyond his unorthodox way of asking your mother to live with him, Russia did it for your sake as well as your mother's."

"Oh." Alaska didn't quite understand what the United Kingdom was actually hinting at, but by the next few words, it only too clear.

"Truth be told, lad. Both your father and your mother knew you were a liability. That's why your mother was required to marry me in any case Russia's superiors ordered an attack on the United States in her condition. That is also why your father desired to place the woman under his care so his superiors couldn't have a say on what he did with his… to simplify the term… 'wife'. Your mother chose to do as the Soviet Union wanted not only to protect you, but also to keep an eye on him. As that saying goes, 'Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.' I must confess, I thought she had gone insane to consider putting herself through what she did; however, looking back, perhaps…" The Brit paused as if hesitant to admit it, "…America did know what she was doing."

**August 3, 1958**

Beads of sweat slid down Arthur Kirkland's face as he watched the scene from the phone booth, impatiently waiting for the line to connect. He tried to calm his breathing, to look like he was in control, to ignore the pain of his shattered leg, even if he knew oh so well that he had no ability to stop the Communist nation from acting out their worst fears.

"Scotland Yard," He urgently spoke into the phone. His voice came out strong over the line, despite the lie he invented on the spot to avoid a difficult explanation to the authorities later. "This is Sir Arthur Kirkland of the Royal Guard requiring immediate assistance on the crossing of Alm and Hickory Lane. We have come across the existence of a Soviet spy and have him cornered. He is armed and currently holding an American diplomatic aid hostage. We need back up fast."

The Englishman's eyes flew through the clear glass of the phone booth. He restrained his desire to panic not over fear but worry for the female America, who stood meters away. Waiting for further instruction from his police force, England couldn't help but hiss, "America, you bloody idiot. Don't you dare do anything stupid!"

His reaction was delayed at best, concentrating on the encounter in front of him. With the Soviet Union currently smiling down upon Emily in the most innocent of fashions, he heard his ex-colony growl, "You fucking soviet! Were you trying to get us killed?"

It was really a stupid question, one that Arthur knew the answer to even before the Russian casually reacted as if he was giving the time of day, "Perhaps. Your obnoxious voice tells me things didn't go as plan, da?" Violet eyes falling upon the woman, the Englishman cursed at the sight of the communist's hungry gaze. For a moment, Arthur's heart skipped a beat at the realization that Ivan's stare had lingered upon the American's still flat middle with an air of subtle interest.

Sliding out of the booth, the Brit hissed, "Oh… no." He turned to Canada who stood by the wreckage of the vehicle they had been taking to the Church. The younger nation watched the scene with wide eyes, from behind the car, hands, hidden from the communist's view holding on to a shotgun the nation had had in the car. Matthew's hands were white, but the man was frozen in place while his sister faced off the only other superpower in the world at that time.

"What are you doing on British territory, Red? You thinking of making Great Britain 'one with you too'?" Instantaneous anger burned in the smaller woman's body, Emily's form tense, her chest held up in a confident stance. There was no way one could tell she had spent the previous night sick to her stomach, doubled over the toilet due to a mix of air and morning sickness.

Her fellow nation chuckled, his shoulders vibrating with the waves of his laughter, "Already jumping to conclusions, I see? You are very predictable, Amerika." Whether or not the communist's unusual calmness did anything to deter Emily was difficult to perceive, but with a slight glance in Arthur's direction, America was already showing signs that she wanted to get out of the current situation and fast. "I might be here for England, but I would've made sure you weren't around to get in my way."

Russia took a step towards her, causing Emily to quickly make a motion for her gun. There was a loud click, but in that moment, instead of drawing her own weapon, Emily was met with her opponent's own pistol aimed at her chest. Ivan's expression had yet to change. America dropped her hands, from their place feeling for the gun that wasn't there, she gave the man a deadly look. Clicking his tongue, the soviet sighed and approached the frozen democracy, smile only growing, "Are you unarmed, capitalist piglet? Someone is getting very sure of herself." Emily pulled back as best she could without making it evident she was attempting to flee, but Russian quickly shadowed her. Pistol still trained on her heart, Ivan reached out for her face.

A shotgun blast filled the air, stopping the nation's motions and making both America and Russia look to its source. The Soviet Union raised an eyebrow, gaze falling upon the male North American twin, holding his own weapon in his hands meters away.

There came seconds of silence, the Canadian and Russian exchanging a long cold look at each other, as if daring the other to act out again. With the gun still aimed at his sister, Canada couldn't do much but fire warning shots to force the communist to back away. Arthur cursed under his breath, pulling out his own handgun and trailing it upon Russia. The man was outnumbered. Russia had to have been insane to continue on like this, but following the calm before the storm, Ivan proved just how crazy he truly was.

Narrowing his eyes, but keeping the grin on his face, Russia called out in tone reminiscent of a mad man, "Is this a threat?" The tall cold superpower turned on the two, "Is it?"

For a normal woman, this moment of distraction was the perfect opportunity for Emily to escape… but to a girl like America, she wasn't going to back down and retreat. Instead, she was in front of the lumbering Russian grabbing him by the trademark scarf and pulling down, "Oh no you don't!" She snarled, "This is! You keep them out of this, or you will regret it."

Her allies reacted in an instant, "Emily, what the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up!" The expectant woman snapped back at her companions, keeping her eyes centered on the Russian's own. As if she was attempting to control a wild animal, Emily held the man tightly by the length of loose cloth Ivan was fond of wearing wherever he went. Despite being pregnant, Emily gave nothing away. No sign of discomfort, no sign of fear, just pure willingness to fight the nation right there and then. If Arthur hadn't known any better, he would have never realized that she was lying through her teeth and gambling her life and the life of her unborn child. Attention returning to Ivan, she spoke evenly to him, "I'm asking you again, Soviet. Why are you here?"

Unfortunately, as England could see through Emily's threat so could Ivan, the Russian hiding whatever he was thinking. He was close enough to have a clear shot of Emily now, his face almost even with hers. The Soviet Union sighed, the smirk leaving his face for a millisecond as he raised his arm and placed the nuzzle of his pistol against Emily's stomach. "Guess… _suka_*."

**December 27, 2010**

1:05pm

The silence of the other line made Arthur uncomfortable. He hadn't been sure whether or not he made the right choice to actually tell the boy what he wanted. The United Kingdom swallowed, pausing the account for his sake. "Uh… Alaska… Um…"

If he could've seen the state at that moment, the nation would've quickly regretted the decision just as Andrei was regretting ever asking his mother's older companion for more information. The boy was beyond stunned, despite hearing similar stories about how rather erratic Russia had been during the Cold War. It was just that never, never had he expected that his father had really gone so far as to attempt to kill him.

"Alaska… are… are you alright?" England bit his bottom lip. Was the boy even on the other line anymore? The nation released a breath, already fearful for Emily's reaction to him having told her child the less glamorous moments of the Cold War. "Alaska… is your mother…?"

Andrei blinked, pulling out of his trance of contemplation. Did he really want to hear more? Was this what his mother was going to tell him? What about this story was so different from the history books, the bedtime tales of Emily's heroic struggles of an insane communist enemy? What had he, himself, been expecting to hear from America? Had the period of time Emily lived his father been violent? Questions swam through the boy's head, making him dizzy. He was hesitant to ask for more. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear any more. "Mom's… still not here… sorry." The state spoke in a whisper, the shock refusing to go away.

England understood he had gone too far. "I… apologize, Alaska. Maybe this might have been a bit too much…" The older nation; however, wasn't done. He had a different view on the situation than Emily, "Your mother must not cover such topics with you, but this is history, lad. It really never is very easy to hear."

Alaska ran a hand through his platinum locks, thinking about his father and ticket to Moscow. After all Emily had told him, things were still looking a lot darker than what his parent nation was getting him to believe. Russia might not have been communist anymore, but he had been a man Emily, the leading superpower of the modern world, had feared. He had spent years of his life alongside his brothers and sisters believing that nothing could scare their mom. Aside from the first thirteen, the remaining thirty-seven states had grown up with Emily as the only true power in the world having governed them. They knew nothing else and they had really believed that events such as the Cold War were really just useless arguments over ideology.

The preteen felt the blunt of his isolation and the Pro-American bubble Emily raised him in, slowly deflating as he heard more and more. In a few months he'd be meeting not only his father, but a man who had seen his country rise and fall again and again. Russia had hated America once. It was all too clear to Andrei then. And no matter how you looked at it, Ivan could still hate the woman who had beaten him in the bloodless war.

The sound of Emily's Escalade pulling up the drive-way pulled the state out of his thoughts. Realizing that he had yet to learn anything in Russian, the boy panicked. "I-I have to go, Mr. England. Uh, thanks for telling me this. Could you please not tell my mom, I heard this?"

"Of-of course." For the first time, the nation gave a gentle laugh. Old empire or not, England was still a rather tolerant man, "I, personally, wouldn't want her to know I told you this either, my boy… so you're secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, sir." Andrei happily replied, relief filling his system. He heard the Escalade's door slam and his mother's footsteps.

Moving to hang up the phone, Alaska heard the country speak again, "Alaska, wait, has your mother returned yet?"

"Oh… uh-" The boy's reaction came too late, the door swinging open to reveal his parent nation taking in several bags of groceries.

Scanning the room, from the pile of language books seemingly untouched on the table, from the absence of her state, Emily caught sight of her son and raised an eyebrow. "Yo, Andrei, who you talking to, hun?"

When Andrei spoke, he hid a lie within a truth, "It's Mr. England. He just called. He wants to speak to you."

Emily gave no sign of seeing through the lie, smiling, "Oh yeah? Well, let me talk to 'im. Go out and take in the rest of the groceries, could you? We can continue with that story of yours as soon as we finish unloading."

The state obediently handed over the phone before hurrying away, averting his gaze from his mother as he passed. Sliding on his boots and walking out into the snow, he sighed as he turned to the car.

He sighed, watching his breath come out in small clouds, "I don't think I want to hear anymore."

* * *

*_suka_: "Bitch" in Russian

Uh-oh. What'll happen next? You all will just have to sit tight until sometime next month. It seems that Alaska is coming across some difficult truths here and being a bit sneaky. Can the state survive a story that isn't as bright and happy as his mother wants it to be? Who knows? Well, I don't have much else to say. Next chapter is in the works as we speak, please review that is all I ask.

Thank you all so much.

Preview:

He was coming to the United States to meet the 49th state, the child he had sired during the Cold War. The idea of having a son was such an abstract notion that the ex-communist was having difficulty thinking. Being a man who had spent the second half of the twentieth century forcing other nations to live under his care, the actual knowledge that he had a child all his own was nerve-wracking. This time he hadn't asked for it. This time he was the one caught off guard. This time he was at the mercy of the woman he had called an enemy those many decades aside from the fact that she was the mother of said offspring. Just the realization that America was even letting him see the boy was making him sick with worry. Russia had never been known for being a child-friendly nation.


	10. Chapter 9

Happy Belated fourth of July everyone! I apologize for the delay, but I've been having problems with the external hard drive that all the chapters have been saved on and while attempting to fix a few corrupted files nearly had to rewrite three chapters. Luckily my external is working for now, so I better upload a chapter before I lose everything again.

Thank you all for the reviews. I have to admit I'm having the biggest writer's block now and the biggest addiction to reruns of the Dog Whisperer (I don't even have a dog). Russia is the hardest man to characterize. I've rewritten the meeting between him and Alaska three times and still can't get it right. Both men are very quiet characters, so depicting them meeting is rather difficult when there is no dialogue. Haha. But this chapter will be written, I assure you! Please continue reading and most importantly reviewing!

Enjoy

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

**August 2, 1958**

From the get go, Emily was regretting not telling Arthur that plane rides and pregnant nations didn't exactly mix. As comfortable as first class was in the private plane taking her to London, being two-months pregnant with the 49th state was dampening the experience to Emily's most evident glee. After so many children, it was only natural to assume that the United States was more than used to it, but each pregnancy seemed like her first, the symptoms close, though not similar enough for the super power to live her life as if nothing was wrong.

Stooped over the lavatory toilet at the end of the plane, the America was quickly becoming acquainted with her newest partner for what she expected was for the rest of the flight. The cabin pressure of the plane was playing with her senses, and while Emily knew that it was much safer to be seated in her designated area, her nausea wasn't going to allow her to leave the toilet any time soon. They had been in the air for barely an hour, which entailed about eight more hours of flight time and air sickness. Sitting in the small lavatory space, the nation sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her stomach in a familiar motion. The first trimester was hell despite having experienced the similar nausea 48 other times.

The sound of footsteps pulled her attention away from the calming darkness of her eyelids. America noticed her Northern sibling making his way down the plane aisle towards her. An expression of concern was shown clearly on Matthew's face while he approached the woman surviving the newest wave of morning sickness. In Canada's right hand was a glass of cold water; in his left, a stack of documents his twin had recently asked for. "You holding up?" Matthew gently asked, squatting down outside the small lavatory and handing the cup to the expectant woman.

Sipping from the cup, Emily chuckled only to lean back with her eyes closed, "Sure… you can say that." The female sighed, "Morning sickness, air sickness; some flight this'll be. Thanks."

Matthew shook his head before gazing at the documents in his hands. Having skimmed through them, the Canadian hesitated while he slipped them into her waiting hands. He had a good feeling what his sister was going to do with several dozen pages of military documents on the numerous bases in Europe. "Did you have to bring work with you?"

Emily laughed again, her cerulean gaze falling on the stack before she took them away. While she scanned the documents silently, she showed no sign of answering.

"Emily."

"Hm?"

Canada rolled his eyes, "Why don't you just sleep it off instead of stressing out on work? We have seven and a half hours of air time before we get to London."

Fingering another page, America didn't seem to catch the northern nation's words, but after a few moments she found herself speaking, "No can do. It's still about four o' clock stateside, and I haven't gotten to checking these reports yet. After I get circled I have an appointment with Ludwig about Ramstein, then a conference with Feliciano and Romano on Naples. I can't go to a meeting unprepared, can I?"

Matthew felt his eyes widen, the country falling back onto his backside in a subtle show that he was planning to stay by his sister's side for as long as it took to persuade her to take a break. He ran a hand through his blond hair, "You scheduled meetings? Jesus, Emily. You're pregnant and getting married in less than 24 hours; what the hell are you doing working at a time like this?" The man flinched when America tapped him on the head with one of the documents.

"Because," Emily responded before being caught by another bout of nausea, which forced the nation to swallow and stop what she was doing to get through it without having to vomit again. She eased a long breath through her teeth as the young mother calmed her stomach down long enough to continue, "…the Soviet Union ain't going to take a coffee break while I get hitched. It's as simple as that. Keep this in mind I'm not the one going around making people into my states (against their will mind you). I got one in the making right here, and I didn't need help…much."

The sight of a skeptical Canada made America giggle despite her attention falling onto the group of documents again. For a second it seemed as if the northern twin was at the point of throwing in the towel on this small spat. In a short while, the man was talking again. "So you're telling me, you are just going to spend the entire flight cramming reports you should've read before we left; you then expect to get married with Arthur; before flying to meetings in Germany and Italy, eh?"

Nodding, Emily simply replied, "Yep, that's the plan. We'll see whether or not Kiku gets his paperwork in. If I can get a hold of it before I finish business in Italy, I'll most likely squeeze a quick visit to Japan to see how Okinawa's faring."

With her brother showing his evident frustration with her, Emily grinned before looking back at the paperwork. The United States was a strange nation, despite her well-known happy-go-lucky almost ignorant nature. Watching her, Canada could only release a controlled sigh. Matthew knew his sister had a lot on her hands, and during times when Emily attempted to deal with her newly gained international power, Canada was fully aware that the southern nation liked to busy herself with a merciless amount of work to get her mind off matters. It didn't look it, but America rarely took a break; an incessant need to get the job done replacing opportunities to relax. Being so far from the rest of the world, having gained independence at such a young age, and being the only female member of the world's Big Five, Emily had grown up with an air of confidence about her, but the reminiscent bouts of paranoia, born from years as the "rebellious British colony", were always under the surface. The notorious maternal instinct that America had started showing shortly after the revolution in the varying forms of obsessive isolationism, perfected militarism, and constant shows of caution, which not many nations had actually seen, let alone taken seriously, were also present around the nation.

Maybe it was due to her independent nature that Canada knew whatever he would say wouldn't make her stop working long enough to get some sleep. When Emily's mind was on matters that could be applied to that of her nation, the woman was an infamous workaholic, no matter who tried to control her. Knowing this fact was a rarity, even for a few of the superpower's states. America was just prone to throwing her confident "I'm Happy On My Own, Don't Worry About It" persona before actually allowing anyone see how much she had to work her ass off just to be able to keep such an identity going.

After a few moments, her brother began again, "Emily, at least promise me you'll rest a bit after looking those over, will you?" He reached out to push a few strands of hair out of his twin's face only to have America pull from his touch, a sensitivity which kept her a personal arm's length away from foreign relations unless the nation desired to go any further. The United States wasn't in the mood to make contact right now. "Think of the baby."

She shook her head and casually laughed. The superpower allowed her laughter to die while eyeing her twin for any signs of him backing off. Canada remained unperturbed. America released a deep breath, "Ok, ok, I'll take a breather after getting this stuff done. Look, I know you're looking out for me, but keep this in mind, Johnny's not gonna like it if you get too involved, Maple Head. Besides, I've been through a lot worse. I'm in an arm's race, not some Civil War." Emily giggled when Matthew returned the expression with a harsh look. His face became gentle when Emily touched her middle with another sigh. For some reason, Canada knew her next words were directed more to reassuring herself than to him, "We'll be fine… ok? We'll be… just… fine."

Canada opened his mouth before coming up with a response, whatever idea he had had disappearing at the sight of his sister and her current position. The northern nation clicked his tongue, "Yeah, you will be."

The shared silence that followed was interrupted by a tall human in a black suit approaching them from the front of the jet. He stopped a few feet away and stared at the interacting countries with a sense of caution. As one of the few humans who knew the identities of the pair sitting on the floor of a jet at the lavatory, he was giving them the standard response, which incorporated looking as if he would either bolt out the nearest window or piss himself where he stood.

Emily went with the latter description, "Hey Steve, there's a toilet up front. Pregnant lady called dibs on this one."

Steven H. Wilkins had thought he had seen everything in the secret service, but this job was insane. Not only was he on a flight to London, miles away from his normal charge, the President, he was currently the escort of what he had just learned wasn't the President's rather close "intern," but was the representation of his very own country, the United States of America. It was something Steven was still becoming accustomed to, but the adapting process was taking longer than was expected for the 45-year old. He was like many a human; more shocked that the country, in human form, was a blonde blue-eyed lass with a relatively decent-sized rack. Maybe it was America's youthfulness that scared him, or maybe it was the fact that even if he looked older than her, Emily had a way of speaking to her citizens that was reminiscent of a mother. "I'm not here for the toilet, ma'am."

"Oh, so you're here to babysit?"

His nation seemed to be able to foresee all his actions as well and it was more than a little deterring. The agent cleared his throat, "Uh…"

"Don't worry, we're fine here. You just sit tight, eh?" The young man who Steven had also discovered was the personification of Canada, grinned politely back, leaving the human speechless at best. "We're not doing anything against our bosses' wishes."

Emily giggled, "Yet." The two countries exchanged a look that made the agent nervous and uncomfortable. He hadn't quite grasped the execution of international relations, so seeing the two nations friendly was not what he had expected.

"I…." Steven had to swallow, "Ms. Jones, I merely wanted you to know that the President desires that you call him once the plane lands for further instruction… That is all." Without further ado, the human returned to the other end of the plane alongside the Canadian "escort".

Once the man was out of earshot, Emily chuckled, "What's his problem? He's been so tense since we took off."

Matthew shrugged, "There might be a pattern in all of this. Your citizens seem to have more difficulty absorbing the truth about this whole thing than mine do."

"What truth? That I don't wear the 'literal' pants in this relationship?"

"Exactly." Matthew readjusted his glasses and leaned in to give Emily a peck on the cheek just to make both agents, who had been staring for the last few moments, spin around in their seats to the front of the plane, barely able to contain their discomfort. The twins laughed before Emily placed her attention back on the documents. Canada took a breath and pushed himself onto his feet. He spoke before walking to the opposite side of the plane, "Well, hurry up and get that done; won't be my fault if you keel over from exhaustion."

America took a look at her brother with a smile, "I'll keep that in mind." Within moments of that last thought, the taste of bile entered the woman's mouth, forcing her to grab the toilet. After emptying her stomach of whatever it had left, Emily growled, "Shit."

**December 28, 2011**

Nations didn't sleep when nervous. It was one of those random facts that not many humans knew, but among the personifications, an eventful night only meant something had been on the country's mind that had made them antsy. It wasn't unusual for many of the countries to go without sleep for a few days, bodies capable for withstanding far more than their citizens', but sleep would be eventually needed and at times pounce onto an unsuspecting superpower before he or she least expected it. With less than hour before landing at the Los Angeles Airport, Russia impatiently awaited his arrival in the United States. He had remained awake the entire trip, the nerves affecting him more than he had expected. The Eastern European nation wasn't a man who tended to outwardly worry over small matters, but the closer he got to the land of his fellow super power the more he felt sick to his stomach.

The nausea wasn't uncalled for either. On occasion when traveling from one nation to another, the personifications couldn't help but feel slightly drained when leaving their own lands. Calling it homesick was an understatement, for departing from one's territory had a detrimental effect that could have only arisen from the fact that the visiting nation would be completely unarmed and at the mercy of the host power. International Summits always allowed a few days for the visiting countries to recuperate before the meeting began, but for Ivan, he wasn't flying to Los Angeles for a mere conference.

Oh no, it was much more than that.

He was coming to the United States to meet the 49th state, the child he had sired during the Cold War. The idea of having a son was such an abstract notion that the ex-communist was having difficulty thinking. Being a man who had spent the second half of the twentieth century forcing other nations to live under his care, the actual knowledge that he had a child all his own was nerve-wracking. This time he hadn't asked for it. This time he was the one caught off guard. This time he was at the mercy of the woman he had called an enemy those many decades aside from the fact that she was the mother of said offspring. Just the realization that America was even letting him see the boy was making him sick with worry. Russia had never been known for being a child-friendly nation.

Looking out the window of the plane, Ivan caught a glimpse of Los Angeles below; the sigh only further feeding his worries. Even if Alaska was still several thousand miles away on the East Coast, Ivan was one more step closer until he was standing before his son, meeting the boy officially for the very first time. He hadn't truly expected the actually act to be this difficult, but Russia had to admit, he was more nervous about meeting Andrei than he had been when facing Andrei's mother during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Emily had never warned him about the extreme anxiety that would come with having a child, and the woman had fifty of them. The nation released another sigh, about the hundredth one since they had taken off from Moscow, before running hands through his hair in evident frustration. He muttered a small curse in Russian under his breath.

"_I'm sorry to interrupt, but are you alright?"_ A voice speaking in Russian queried simply in response, forcing the European nation to turn in direction of the question. The man sitting across the aisle from him apologetically smiled, but was quick to explain, _"I couldn't help but notice you have been quite restless since we took off."_

Ivan shook his head, surprised that the human would notice and have the courage to even ask. The stranger spoke fluent Russian, but the atmosphere about the other man wasn't that of one of Ivan's citizens at all. Politely, the super power waved off the uncalled for concern, _"I'm fine. It has been a long flight and I have a lot on my mind."_

For some reason the answer didn't seem enough for the non-Russian citizen. He smiled, agreeing with the nation, not sensing, like most, the strange presence Ivan had. _"It has been, hasn't it? We'll be landing in a few minutes, so that's good news for you, yes?"_ Chuckling, the stranger continued to Ivan's disbelief, _"Is this your first time coming to_ America?"

With the last word of the question, Russia was quick to pinpoint just what was so off about this fellow passenger. The way the middle-aged man said America was slightly different, clearer, more stressed. Aside from the array of well pronounced Russian words, that single emphasized nation was enough for the personification to point it out. _"No, actually I've come to Amerika many times for… business."_ He gave the man a respectfully doubtful look, revealing how he had seen through the man's statements, "You speak well for an American."

Pleasant surprise came across the human's face before he smiled once more, "Ah, so you could tell. _You're good; no one in Moscow could tell that I wasn't a Russian citizen. My mother is from Kiev; my father grew up in St. Petersburg; I was born in Seattle after my parents left the Soviet Union during the Cold War. I grew up speaking nothing but Russian at home."_ The explanation was simple and easy despite the Russian-American describing the private story of his roots. Extending his hand, the man continued, _"I'm Mikhail, or _Michael _for those who can't pronounce it."_

Ivan didn't know whether to be thrown off by the introduction or be just as open. Mikhail gave off the American optimism all right, but beyond the welcoming air about the Russian-American human, Russia could sense restraint and calm control, very reminiscent of one of Russian background. For now, Mikhail was showing his American side despite speaking fluently in Ivan's native tongue. The nation assumed that the other side of the human was most likely reserved when at home with his mother and father. Taking the hand, the superpower shook it, _"Ivan, it is nice to meet you."_

"_And you."_ Mikhail casually returned. _"So you're on a business trip? I'm surprised that they'd be sending you out of the country so close to New Years."_

"_Ah…"_ Russia didn't feel quite open to actually share his plans. Shrugging the country replied, _"It can't be helped."_

"_I see why you'd be so restless. I'd hate having to leave my family right before a holiday, but hey, I understand what you're going through. I had to miss Christmas this year to do a few things in Moscow. Glad to be heading home though, let me tell you." _

Nodding the nation listened as the friendly human spoke of his responsibilities as a writer who specialized in writing Travel Guides. A deadline had been pushed forward, forcing Mikhail to spend time in Russia to finish a few pieces he had been working on. As Mikhail spoke, Ivan observed how the man was affected by his presence. For some reason, Mikhail was completely oblivious of having the country he was writing about sitting in front of him. _"I had been planning to bring my wife and kids with me so that I could add a bit about the best family-oriented places, but that deadline came out of nowhere. Russia is a beautiful country, but it definitely isn't the same traveling alone then with the ones you love."_

"_Next time you should take them and do a piece just for families."_ Ivan added simply, even though he felt awkward talking about such things. Nations weren't prone to speaking about family let alone considering such a thought due to the way relationships were so easily ruined across foreign borders. He was still fearing meeting his own son for the first time, what did he know. _"It is very beautiful in the spring, especially when the sunflowers are out."_

"_You're right, my ten year-old daughter would love that. Don't know about my son though; flowers aren't his thing. That's it, I know what we're doing coming Spring Break."_ A silence followed as both men sat back and waited out the slow uncomfortable descent to the runway, the plane landing without a hitch. The conversation didn't start up again until the plane had come to the terminal and the passengers slowly began to get up from their seats for their hand carries overhead. _"You're going to be a bit warm with that on."_

Mikhail motioned to the nation's symbolic scarf, but didn't say more, noticing Ivan's slight surprise at the thought of removing it. Following the passengers out of the plane and into the terminal, Ivan stopped, noticing the increase in temperature. It took him a moment before realizing that he was on the west coast of the US, notorious for its constant sunshine. The nation still wasn't going to remove his scarf anytime soon, especially with the slight nausea that had increased once he had set foot on American soil. He'd have to find his guide first, the reluctant California, before he could think twice about loosening the item of clothing.

Keeping an eye out for any sign of Emily's 31st state, Ivan followed Mikhail out into the baggage claim area. While the two waited for the luggage to appear at the designated carousel, they exchanged a few more words. Something from the conversation on the plane weighed heavily on the Russian's mind. _"Mikhail, you have a son, yes?"_

"_Sure do. Chris, just turned fourteen last October." _

"_What are boys his age interested in exactly_?" Whether it was the California temperature or the embarrassment from asking, the nation felt his face heat up slightly when he spoke. _"What did you get him for his birthday?"_

Luckily, the question didn't seem too private for the American. "_Do you have a kid his age too? Wow, wouldn't have guessed it. You look so young compared to me. I'm already losing hair."_ Laughing lightly, Mikhail scanned the moving baggage carousal which had begun to distribute the luggage. _"Well, it really depends on what the kid's interested in, am I right? My son's a big gamer, so I got him that new Call of Duty game or something like that… I don't know- I just got it for him."_

"_I'm… not quite sure."_ Russia hated feeling awkward as he spoke especially in front of this human. With a glance around him to make sure California wasn't around to hear him ask for advice, the country further explained. _"I'm meeting him for the first time here in Amerika… it is complicated… but I do know his birthday is coming up in a few days."_

This made Mikhail stop, turning to look at the Russian with interest. A few moments of silence followed, the human evidently thinking of what to say in this situation. While they located their bags, Mikhail finally responded, _"In my opinion, Ivan, in your situation, I'd say anything would do."_ Seeing the confusion on the nation's face, the human clarified, _"Personally, I think nothing would beat getting a dad on my birthday if I was him. Anything else would just be a bonus. Besides, you can always spoil him rotten after you get to know what he likes, though I'm not an expert at this, mind you."_

Bags in hand, the country and the Russian-American citizen passed through customs and fully arrived in Los Angeles. However, America's state was nowhere in sight. _"Well, it was nice talking to you Ivan. I have to head out before I miss my ride."_ Shifting effortlessly from Russian to English, Mikhail reached out to shake hands once more before making his leave. "I hope your business here goes smoothly and you enjoy your stay here in America. Good luck on meeting your son and congratulations."

Shaking hands one more time, Ivan watched the human walk away, making his way out of the airport and out of sight. Russia had to sigh, not exactly sure what had just happened between him and the American man. His thoughts were cut short as the superpower wandered aimlessly around the airport in search of California. It wasn't made easier by the fact that this would be his first time meeting Andrei's older half-sibling as well.

With each passing minute, Russia found him lost among the travelers within the airport. He had been expecting that he would be the one being recognized from the mass of people, but it seemed he'd be the one asking around. After a half hour of searching, Ivan brought himself to contact his host nation and question the whereabouts of the state she had sent to retrieve him. Fiddling with his phone as he walked, the Eastern European nation wasn't quick enough to stop before crashing into someone on his way towards the exit.

"Watch it, _cabrón*_." Came a growl from the "innocent" soul that Ivan had accidently pushed over. With a hiss, the dark skinned young man pushed himself back on his feet, dusting himself off and readjusting the pair of sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. A string of curses slid from the boy's mouth under his breath, but seeing the large size of the figure that had pushed him, he didn't say much more. It wasn't until he turned slightly that Ivan noticed the Bluetooth tucked tightly at his ear and the following words, "Not you, Mama. I was talking to this big _idiota_ who doesn't look where he's walking."

Russia stared at the irritated person in front of him. Mumbling a small "Sorry," the nation didn't move from his spot, sensing a familiarity about the boy. The stranger was American all right, but there was something more that Ivan couldn't quite pinpoint.

Looking at his watch and running his hand through his loose ponytail, Mr. Bluetooth had gone to ignoring the person that collided into him, continuing his dialogue with whoever was on the other line. "Oy, Mama, I'm not like his babysitter or anything. How the hell am I supposed to keep track of him?" Saying a few more choice words in Spanish, he kept on, "Well maybe you should've told him to like wait at the freakin' baggage claim or something. Or here's another thing you could have done, sent me his number or at least tell me what the hell he looks like. Yeah, like the "tall dude with a scarf" is really going to help me."

There was an evident conflict going on here and while Ivan really didn't want to stare, he found himself doing so at the sound of the description. Not only was the conversation odd, the "human" seemed a tad bit unusual. For a moment, the Russian gazed intently at the smaller male until finally it hit him. This "human", with his dark skin and dark brown hair had America's eyes, bright blue under the darkness of his sunglasses. The sight clicked rather quickly, "California?"

"Will you just like go away already I'm talking on the-" Stopping midsentence, the 31st state of the union looked up at the towering figure staring down at him. Ivan noticed the boy pale before speaking, his voice deflating, "You're… like the tall dude with a scarf."

Ivan couldn't help himself, throwing on one of his creepiest smiles and straightening up to full height, he nodded, "Da, and you must be my guide." There was a second of silence, long enough for the nation to politely introduce himself, "Privyet, California, I'm the Russian Federation, Alaska's father."

* * *

*Spanish for Asshole

And Russia has entered the building… or has he? Haha, we are getting close to real deal, but how will Alaska react to meeting a father who has no idea how to be a father. We have America who practically reeks of maternal experience, but Russia is a paternal 'virgin'! The states aren't making it easier either. And because of it, I have a lot of my hands trying to write that chapter!

No sneak peek this time. I'm still getting this chapter in the works. Please review and look out for the next part soon.


	11. Chapter 10

Greetings readers. Hope you all are still ready for some more. I have more chapters in the works so hopefully you'll be enjoying another addition to this fic of mine soon. Please continue reviewing so I can keep uploading. I had a terrible writer's block when writing this chapter, but reading your in depth reviews inspires me every time.

Not much more to say here except forgive the way I butcher state accents. I promise I will revert to normal dialogue for later chapters.

That's all enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 10:

**December 29, 2010**

**10:30am**

Alaska couldn't help but notice that something was off with his mother. As distant as the northwestern state was, even the youngest son of the United States could tell that something was amiss within the Virginia home. It wasn't as if America was acting extremely unusual, but the superpower seemed to be preoccupied and strangely obsessive over rather domestic duties that the nation normally had her human counterparts do. He wasn't a state to make his thoughts known, yet as he gazed at his mother seated at her desk clicking away at her keyboard and scanning the three computer screens while she worked, the curiosity and slight concern was beginning to swell within the boy.

It had really started when his mother had begun to clean the house the day before. Since the day he had spoken with England, Andrei had kept silent on the story topic, noticing his mother's odd behavior. She hadn't brought it up either, seemingly worried about the guest scheduled to come by. In its place was a day locked up in his room studying his father nation's language while hearing the sound of a rather frantic America vacuuming and cleaning the entire estate without much help aside from the occasional calls to Tony, who had reappeared shortly after the house had gotten less crowded. By the time Emily had allowed Andrei to leave his end of the house, the home was spotless and Tony had disappeared again, but his mother was still fidgety and hadn't stopped being in such a state since.

A day later, Emily seemed quite a bit calmer, but the tenseness in her shoulders had yet to disappear. Attention concentrated on her work, the parent nation did not notice her son staring at her so inquisitively, trying to silently find the source of his mother's sudden preoccupation. Whatever it was, Andrei had a good feeling it was a very important international issue, or his mother would not have shown her panicky side the previous morning.

"Mom." Alaska's interest to know about his mother's affairs had become too strong, forcing him to break the stillness of the room. The sound of typing came to a stop, his mother's azure eyes rising to meet his for a few moments.

"Hm?"

With her gaze on him, Andrei hesitated, rethinking his approach to the subject. "Uh… are you… busy?"

The look that remained on his form screamed, 'What do you think?' But before Emily could voice such a thought, Alaska kept on, "I… uh… I was wondering… well… I've been studying since yesterday…"

"Umm hmmm." Expectantly, America leaned back crossing her arms. It was evident Alaska had interrupted something, but with a parent like Emily, it was difficult to predict the consequences to his actions. "What is it, Andrei?"

"Uh…" The 49th state swallowed and felt himself blushing, hating the abrupt wave of embarrassment flowing through him. Compared to other states, Alaska rarely forced his desires on his mother especially being one of the youngest of her children. Most of the time he was ignored, something he could relate with his Canadian uncle quite well; however when he did receive his mother's full blown attention it was almost intimidating. "I…Could we continue… with what happened… before my birth? Uh… please?"

The reaction he received was neither that of anger or glee. Emily placed her hands behind her head and replied, "Sure, I've been wondering when you'd ask again, but you were busy learning dad's language, huh? Just ask me in Russian and then we'll start."

Surprise hitting him, the boy felt his eyes widen before he could find his own response, "What? But mom, I've only been studying for the last day and half."

"And you're a state, which makes it ten times easier to learn a language than the average human." Returning to her work, the superpower looked over the three screens with a mix of boredom and distaste. "Come on kiddo, let me hear it."

Embarrassment turning to preteen rebelliousness, Andrei scowled, "Oh come on, mom. That's too hard." Wracking his brain for the right words, the language failed to compute. While turning through the English-Russian dictionary in his lap, Alaska sighed, trying to find the correct method to do as his mother asked.

"You get it yet?" America pushed, a teasing smile forming on her face as she kept working. She finished reviewing the Federal Reserve's report on the debt ceiling with an impatient sigh, which her son interpreted as directed to him.

"I'm finding it, I'm finding it."

"I don't have all day, Eskimo." Emily joked, before frowning at the disclosure of loans she owed China.

"Hold on!" Andrei stopped and closed the book, putting together his findings. He didn't like how it sounded, "Mom, what's the point, it's not like you're going to me understand anyway."

Exiting all of the open financial reports the nation had on her screens, Emily glanced up at her child again. For a moment she looked close to agreeing, but what came out was a sentence in Russian instead, _"Really? Try me.*"_ Her smile merely widening to add an element of smugness to her expression, the mother added, "You don't expect me to have gone four decades arguing with your Pop without learning what he was whispering under his breath, did you? Stop complaining, it's not like you were the one who was so elegantly thrown among a bunch of Soviet states (at the time) and told to _Learn_. Well, maybe you were kinda there, but I was the one learning, you were there for the ride."

The nation finally pulled herself up from her chair, stretching her muscles that hadn't moved for a couple of hours. Her eyes fell on the clock at her desk before she left her end of the room for her son's. "Trust me, Andrei. You have to realize how lucky you are to have not been stuck with your father for six freaking months during the Cold War, learning Russian. You're dad was a jerk."

The comment did not bode well with the boy, who frowned deeply. With what he now knew his father seemed more than just as jerk, less of a monster, but much more than a simple jerk. With a deep breath the state finally forced himself to speak, "_Mother, can you tell me the story, please?"_

It was as easy as that. As soon as those words left his lips, Emily threw herself onto the small couch in her office and pulled her son close to her, "That's my Russian-American baby. Ok, now where were we?"

"You…" Andrei had to sigh, pushing away the negativity that had come with the last account a day before, "…made it to London."

Nodding, Emily squeezed Alaska, "Exactly…"

**August 3, 1958**

"Hey, are you done in there? We're late."

"Will you shut up, Matt? I just got off the phone with Eisen-asshole. Damn it, whose idea was it to make me wear the dress?"

Sighing, the Northern country rolled his eyes, standing calmly outside the small bathroom of the jet. They had just landed and due to some technical difficulties, had arrived about ten minutes late. Adding another 15 minutes to the time was Emily's call stateside, which, from her evident irritability, had not gone well. "Arthur thought it was fitting. You know how he is."

" 'Fitting my ass.'" Canada caught his sister hiss through the lavatory doors, the sounds her struggling into the simple white summer dress easily audible through the barrier. "First Eisenhower and now Arthur, you guys are damn idiots."

Releasing another breath, Matthew chuckled and glanced back at the closed door. "I'm hurt, Em. What've I done to you?"

"Sorry Matt, not talking about you."

"Thanks sis." The northern twin allowed silence to take his place, continuing to wait for his sister to leave the area of the plane. After a few minutes and the lingering absence of America, Canada spoke again, "Jesus, Emily. Arthur's gonna give us hell if we're any later. He's already waiting at the car. You get into that dress yet, or have you gotten too fat for it already."

The lavatory door swinging open, Emily glared at her brother. "I take that back, you've just made it onto the 'Idiot Men' list as well." She had slipped easily into the simple gown enough, but as she moved she grimaced. "I'm not fat, Canada. I've been throwing up everything I've attempted to eat for the last three weeks. Damn England got my bust size wrong again. My boobs are killing me."

Her brother reddening in the face, Canada shook his head, "Well that's just lovely to hear." He glanced behind him to the two human escorts who had been "listening in". "Are you aiming to scar them for life or is it just that kind of day for you?"

The deadly glare that the Canadian received was an appropriate response, to which he placed a gentle hand on the small of Emily's back. Matthew guided his sister to the opposite end of the jet, helping her, without making it obvious, exit the plane smoothly. He paused turning toward the Canadian and American escorts with a gentle smile. Though the expression was genuine so were the words. "I know this may not be following 'orders' but England came by personally to pick us up. He advises you two take a cab to the Church on your own."

Surprise hitting the two humans, Steven stepped forward, "B-but sir-"

"Please don't start Wilkins. You and Troy just go ahead and meet us there… unless you want to spend the next half an hour in a car with a bitching pregnant superpower." Only a nation like Canada could speak so simply on such a subject without showing any emotion other than complete contentment. The gentle nation gave nothing away when stating a fact that in some ways could have been considered a threat as well. When he didn't receive an answer, Matthew nodded, "Good, see you soon, eh?"

Strolling to the car, Matthew found Emily standing beside her ex-colonizer in mid-conversation. Arthur Kirkland was dressed in a simple, yet formal suit, accented by the dark green vest he wore under the suit jacket to match his eyes. Of course, aside from how gentlemanly the Brit's appearance was, he was no different, already annoyed by Emily's less than content nature. His presence had not done much to change her mood.

"… I was asking you about your dress, and 'Ok' is all you can give me?" England queried, tapping the top of the car in an impatient fashion. He didn't turn to acknowledge Canada's presence, predictable when the old Empire's full attention was on his female ex-colony.

Emily rolled her eyes like a rebellious teenager. She held herself loosely around the middle, more out of habit than anything, as she replied, "Well, So—rr—y." Pulling out the word she only made England more standoffish. "What do you want me to do? Jump up and down and scream for joy over a dress?"

"It's the least you could do after what I'm doing for you." Arthur firmly retorted. Despite the close relations between the two countries, Emily and Arthur were prone to getting into the occasional argument, though with the female nation's current temperament, the day was going to get worse before it got better. "And it was a bloody compliment. A 'thank you' would have sufficed. I believe I taught you manners at one point."

The United States crossed her arms, only to grimace in discomfort. She dropped her hands, "Yeah, thanks… for making a dress… that's trying to strangle me. I grew a pair of breasts centuries ago, you square."

Arthur bristled at the comment only to be held back by the approaching Canada. Matthew sighed, "Don't stress her out, Arthur. She had her ear chewed out by her boss already."

"And now this dress is killing my tits." America added, looking at her chest, "Can we go now?"

It took a moment, but the Englishmen finally sighed and nodded. He wasn't that ignorant not to have noticed that Emily was a bit more irritable than usual. As normal as their spats were, Emily rarely snapped back like this, choosing rather to return each of his words with light-hearted excuses lined with a bit of her trade-mark stubbornness. The way Emily fell into the backseat of the car instead of insist on sitting shotgun was enough to deflate the older nation's anger. America had enough on her plate already.

Canada was quick to climb in beside her, leaving England to get into the driver's seat and start the car. The trip towards the church started off without another peep from Emily, who spent her time watching the passing scenery turn into the streets of London. The three allowed silence to fill the car.

A yawn broke the calm within the vehicle, bringing Canada's attention away from the window for a moment and to the United States beside him. He hadn't quite noticed it before, but under the make-up Emily had been forced to wear for the occasion, signs of exhaustion were evident on the young superpower's face. Exhaustion, coupled with the fact that America had not eaten that morning for the sake of avoiding the chance of vomiting all over her groom later that day, weighed heavily on Canada's mind. "How long did you sleep last night, Emily?"

Raising her eyes to look at her brother, America shrugged.

Matthew frowned and firmly demanded, "How long, Emily?"

For a second Arthur turned around to the siblings he had practically raised, worry hidden behind the skeptical look in his eyes. He glanced back at the road, waiting for the female nation to answer. When none came he echoed the concern, "America, don't tell me you haven't been sleeping properly?"

Instead of a reply to the question, Emily licked her lips and leaned back in her chair. The words that came out of her mouth were far from what they wanted, "Hey, how long does it take to fly from Germany to Italy? Would it be easier to just drive there?"

"Em…" Canada released a long breath. "I asked you a question. Did you sleep at all during the flight?"

"If I can get this whole marriage deal over with, maybe I can get a flight tomorrow morning, or even better later tonight. That'll give me a day in Germany, maybe two if Ludwig needs anything… and then Italy by the third day. I'd most likely want a few more days there so I can talk to Feliciano and Romano separately, or better yet-"

"Emily, answer the damn question!" England barked making the two involuntarily jump. The way the woman listed her plans was getting on the island nation's nerves for more reasons than one. For one thing, Emily was waving this wedding off as if it was nothing, for another, she was already planning to add just another 800 things onto her to-do list, and England hadn't even inquired upon her current condition, carrying the child of the Soviet Union. Of course, Arthur wasn't going to admit it to her, but he couldn't help but feel stressed about the whole situation. She was the current superpower of the world, having surpassed him in military strength during the last world war, but knowing full well what it was like to be on top, the British Empire feared for her safety. Emily was going to be the target for many now that she was in power, though the USSR was currently the worst threat. What's more was that by marrying her, Arthur had put his own nation at risk. If Ivan found out about the child and that Great Britain was to be the stand-in father, there would be dire consequences for not only Emily, but himself as well.

It would be an open alliance against a common enemy. And as the Soviet Union already felt cornered, it wouldn't be long before the Russian decided to fight back. England was closer geographically than the United States.

"Don't tell me what to do." Emily obstinately returned, but answered anyway, "I… don't know… Maybe twenty minutes here and there."

Matthew's eyes grew in side, before he ran a hand down his face in frustration. "Jesus Christ, are you serious? Em, I told you-"

"I know what you told me, Mattie, I know." America overcame him simply. She gave him a smile, the first one of the day, in confidence. "Look at the bright side, I am so ready for those meetings."

The car came to an abrupt stop, the North American twins slipping forward and almost colliding with the back of the front seat. England gazed back angrily, but his look gentled as he explained, "Red light." Green eyes centering upon Emily's, he opened his mouth speak. "Emily, Matthew's right. I understand how busy your schedule's been; however, it is imperative that you take care of yourself in your current state. You can't get caught in a difficult position too exhausted to do anything about it, now do you?"

"Ah shit." The reaction was abrupt, gaining a stunned look in return. Suddenly reaching down under her skirt, Emily frowned.

Canada turned away at the sight and a wave of red came across England's face, forcing him to look to the road again in embarrassment. "Wh-What the bloody hell are you doing, America?"

For a moment, no response came to his query, the other country fiddling under the skirt of the white sun dress with an expression of extreme concentration. Something under her dress made a clicking noise before the woman finally straightened up and pulled what looked like an empty holster of a gun from its folds. America hissed and threw the holster aside with a growl. "I just had to change into this dress, didn't I? See what you did, now I left my gun back on the jet."

"Why are you blaming me?" England gasped and drove forward, "You're in my capital, NATO territory, you ungrateful git. You don't need that gun."

She slouched in her chair with a heavy sigh, "It doesn't hurt to be ready for anything."

"Yeah, says Ms. Paranoid here." Violet eyes meeting the woman's azure gaze, Matthew sarcastically kept on, "Look at me, I'm the United States of America and my gun's my freaking security blanket."

"What are you trying to say, America? Are you saying that I am unable to defend myself? Don't think of yourself so highly. You're not the only bloody power in this world just because you can build some ungodly bomb that can obliterate the entire human race!"

The reference of nuclear weapons hit a nerve within the American woman. Emily roared back, "Who ever said that! I didn't. I've had that Colt** since forever and I bring it everywhere. Besides it's not like you're the one having fucking Russia breathing down your goddamn neck all the fucking time! Do you want to face the Red, cuz go ahead be my guest. Pull all the stops, ol' British Empire-!"

"Um… ok… th-that's enough…" Canada's voice was calm, catching sight of his sister's last wall of emotional defense crumbling to the ground. He took her hand, "Emily-"

She roughly pulled away from him. Like most women, you couldn't stop a girl from expressing herself. "Face Russia in all your British Glory, keep Germany and Japan on track, it's all fine by me! I've been raring for a vacation right about now. You take over, Arthur, go ahead. That'll give me time to have Alaska and actually spend some time raising my kids, instead of running back and forth between Asia and Europe trying to put all the damn pieces back together."

"Well, we never asked you to get involved!" England barked in return, glancing at her as he continued to drive.

"Really? Last time I remembered, you were the one on your knees begging me to give you aid to keep Ludwig off your back three decades ago. If it wasn't for me, you know you wouldn't have won the war."

"We were bloody fine without you!" Came the retort, "If it weren't for the fact that my people and I had to go through hell before you slipped into the conflict… late as usual, you'd have never had the chance to play hero, America. The only time you do care is when things get personal. You jumped in because of your interests-"

"-like everyone else! Like every single one of you idiots who pressured Ludwig so bad he turned into some fucking psychopath!"

Matthew grabbed Emily around the shoulders, "Emily you need to stop. Stop, Emily." He looked to the Englishman currently speeding down the road enraged. "Arthur, you two need to calm down. This isn't helping her."

" 'Helping' me? God, this is the fucking reason why I didn't want to get fucking married, especially with this asshole." Emily growled, trying to move away from her twin who didn't release her, "Damn it Canada, let me go… This is the reason I went **independent**." Her eyes falling upon the English nation's form, she tauntingly stressed the word.

Canada rolled his eyes, forcing his sister to look at her, ignoring England's chosen curses from the driver's seat, "Enough, Emily. That's enough! We get your point, ok? You're overwhelmed, we know that. Just calm down, this isn't good for the baby."

The look he received from the woman was a mix of disgust and incredulousness. She shook her head. America wasn't done, "And you…" Emily opened her mouth, but before she continued she released a sigh. A good sign? Matthew wasn't sure, "You act as if this is my first pregnancy… This is like, what, my forty-ninth kid? I'm fine… so just stop worrying about me." In her eyes, the fire that burned was beginning to weaken, true exhaustion taking its place.

"We're not talking about your pregnancy, America-"

"Drive, England." The American snapped, the flame burning again. As soon as Arthur returned to the road, the energy started to drain once more.

Her brother nodded, "I know, Em, but Arthur's right, we're not concerned about how you'll deal with this pregnancy. It's just-"

"What? Is it because I'm going against big bad Russia?" This time, America spoke flatly. She fell back against the seat of the car, placing her hand to her head before fully covering her face with her arms. America was pulling inward, rebuilding the defenses that had fallen due to job-related stress. She fell silent, only breaking it to mumble, "Shit, I hate you all..."

The awkward calm that follows after a fight finally filled the vehicle with silence. After a few minutes, England tentatively glanced back at the young woman, undergoing the common stresses of being a superpower. She wasn't used to it, not yet. It would take her another decade of space races for her to get accustomed to the pressure from all sides. No one had expected that America could've pulled herself up so quickly after the war, but there she was, the nation now balancing the power of the world, just as he had done a century before. Running a hand down his face, Arthur blushed in his guilt. The argument had been unnecessary.

They were about to come to the church, where England's boss had insisted they officially get married. He turned back again and caught sight of Matthew looking over his sister's quiet body.

"Is something the matter, Matthew?" The older nation gently asked.

Violet gaze traveling over the female nation, Canada looked between the folds of her arms, noticing her even breaths. "No… I think she fell asleep. That spat of yours actually drained her out, eh?" The Canadian smiled at Emily's sleeping form before looking to the Englishman whose attention was on the two for the moment.

Matthew's eyes grew wide, suddenly focusing on the road, "ENGLAND, WATCH OUT!"

Spinning around, Arthure was barely fast enough to yank the wheel in one direction, forcing the car to go right onto the path of the oncoming Buick.

The impact ripped the three nations out of their seats as the car was slammed into the opposite curve where another vehicle was parked, sandwiching their car between the Buick and parked vehicle.

By the time Canada regained his composure, he was seeing red, blood dripping from a painful gash across the forehead, where he had gone sailing into the door. He groaned, finding Arthur hissing with his leg caught in the crushed sides of the car. In an instant their eyes flew to the end of the car that had luckily been on the opposite side of the impact, where Emily was currently attempting to force the door on her side to open. She looked shaken, but not hurt, more of her attention on getting out of the vehicle. "That fucking son of bitch!"

With a growl, America finally lost all patience, leaning back and kicking off the entire door with her infamous strength. Seeing her beginning to stumble out, her legs almost giving out from below her as she climbed from the wreck, she didn't hear her brother scream her name as he caught sight of the man she was so fervently trying to reach. "Emily, no!"

December 29, 2010

12:15pm

Several decades later, it wasn't difficult to know the answer to that panicked question on America's wellbeing; however, by the expression on her child's face, it almost looked like Andrei was expecting to hear that his mother had died in the accident or had been violently hurt. Emily paused, smiling at her son's wide eyes and slightly open mouth. The mother giggled and shook her head, "You ok there, Eskimo?"

As adorable as her son looked awestruck by the story at hand, he reached a whole different level of cuteness when he cried out, "Mom, don't stop, keep going! What happened? What did Uncle Matt see?"

Emily clicked her tongue, impressed by the boy's interest. She felt tempted to continue, but she had made a silent promise to stop at a certain part of the story until Russia had arrived to do his part as well. For the time being, Emily knew that she would be able to tell her side of the tale, but the car accident in London was the turning point, for not only herself, but also Ivan as well. Instead of continuing, Alaska found his mother glancing up at the clock in the room and pout, "Well…"

"Well?" Leaning forward, Andrei was dying to hear more, anything more about the car crash his mother had gotten into when she had been pregnant with him years before. He wasn't sure whether the event he had heard from England was what she had been leading up so he had to know. This was the first time America had ever spoken about getting into a car accident and it only made the state's curiosity grow. "Mom, why'd you crash?"

His mother played with his hair a little and suddenly slowed her pace, "Because… Because your Uncle was going to run somebody over, baby, that's why."

"Who was it?"

"Uh-" The woman chuckled softly to herself, her eyes darting around the room with discomfort. America was beating around the bush. "You… you can say it was somebody I wasn't actually thrilled to see."

The answer wasn't what the boy was expecting. Brows furrowing, Alaska felt his shoulders slump, "Mom! Who? Was it the Soviet Union?"

His mother perked up, but didn't reply to his guess. Releasing a deep breath, America finally conceded, "Man, I was hoping not to get to this part so soon." The pleading orbs of blue that fell upon her face were hard to ignore. She really had to stop spoiling her children, "Oh, all right, it was-"

Before she could further explain the sound of the doorbell interrupted the parent nation. The change in her face was instant, bringing Emily to her feet, "Speak of the devil, just what I wanted to hear. Hold on a sec, kiddo, I have to get this." With that said, she was out of the room before Alaska could react, forcing the boy to scramble after his mother in protest.

Andrei trailed after his mom out and towards the front door. He couldn't help but feel a little peeved about his mother failing to finish any specific part she had started. Sighing, he dared to make an oath to himself. He wasn't going to let his mom get interrupted again. He was going to get his answers even if he had to beg. "Oh, come on! Mom just tell me!" Not getting a reply, the state persisted, "You always stop at the really good parts. Why can't you just finish up the story for once? Who did England nearly run over?"

"That's Uncle Iggy to you, Mister. Be patient, Andrei, geez." Finally, arriving at the entryway of the house, America opened the door with gusto revealing two of his siblings, members of the older thirteen. "Virginia, Nicholas, long time no see."

Virginia and New York were the self proclaimed ring leaders of the fifty states. Being one of the closest children to Mama America, emotionally, Virginia Abigail Richmond Jones, was the naturally obedient one as well as the most protective of her mother's kids. She was a tomboy, and proud of it, having been able to keep up with her male siblings better than most of her sisters. It was a way the state could blow off some steam, especially since the whole Civil War fiasco Virginia had gotten caught up with. "Hey Mama, I got yer, uh, friend here, happy?" Blue-eyed like all America's other children, the only telltale sign of Virginia's paternal descent was her dirty blonde hair, inherited from England, cropped in a pixie cut so it was easy to deal with. She gave Emily a quick hug and strolled right in, ruffling Alaska's hair as she walked by, "Heya kiddo, yuh still here? Ain't you a big Mamma's boy."

Following her was the tall and slim Nicholas Adam Albany Jones. He was notorious for being an all out New Yorker, accent and all, which came with his strange need to do everything as if he was in a hurry. The state practically lived on Wall Street, unless it was baseball season. Appearing almost standoffish, Nick gave off an air of superiority around the other 49. Where Virginia was Mamma's girl, New York was Emily's ace and the most internationally recognized state of the union. He dealt with other nations on a regular basis when his mother was unavailable, and if it wasn't for the bull tattoo on his shoulder blade and the dark scar that trailed from his temple to his jaw from a 'recent' terrorist attack, one would think New York was the 'perfect' son. "Ma, has tings? Dat guy's back ada car." Other than his height, reminiscent to a certain tall European***, much of his appearance was traced back to his mother's side of the family, from his darkening skin, making him more and more like California due to his varied demographics, and light brown hair, to bright cerulean gaze. Giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek, he too entered the house, playing with his younger brother's hair in the common casual greeting Andrei seemed to always get, before leaving for the kitchen like his older sister had done before, "Has it goin, Al?" Of course, good old New York was too quick to actually receive a decent reply, already gone before Alaska could answer.

Lost, Alaska couldn't help but look up as his mother, "Mom, why are they-"

Turning to his mother, he found that Emily had disappeared from view, only catching sight of her already a few feet away, running out into the snow covered driveway in nothing more than a t-shirt and sweatpants. Alarmed at his mother's sudden act, Andrei followed the superpower around the family's large Escalade, "Mom, where are you going?"

He came to a screeching stop at the edge of the driveway, eyes catching up with America in mid-greeting. Barefoot and thinly clad for a December morning, Emily looked like a fool going from one foot to the other, hands tucked under her arms, as she said hello to her guest, who was currently pulling his suitcases from the trunk of Virginia's car. His mother's face was lost in the brightness of her smile, and in an instant the woman went from experienced mother to naïve nation, "You finally made it! Did those two treat you alright?"

Andrei felt his body stiffen as he watched the stranger straighten from his spot by the trunk. Scarf wrapped tightly around his neck and sighing into the winter air, the Russian Federation responded simply, "They were manageable. Rather protective of their mother as usual." The Russian raised an eyebrow, noticing his host's appearance. "Amerika, why are you not wearing shoes?"

The smaller country laughed, "Well, when I saw Virginia and Nick come in without you I got worried that they bailed out on picking you up." Russia chuckled at this comment, giving Andrei's mother a polite smile the boy had never seen before in the small set of pictures Emily had allowed him to see of his father. The state was frozen in his place, a mix of both apprehension and awe filling his system. Unfortunately, any idea of making a run for it was dashed by America looking in his direction. The grin she gave Ivan softening at the sight of her youngest son. "Hey look who came to visit? Come here and say hello, Alaska."

He didn't know what made him obey his parent's call. Maybe it was the fact that it was America who was speaking, obligating him to get closer, or maybe it was the fact that he saw the taller man beside her stiffen as well, slowly turning to gaze at the distant boy. By the time the words had even registered, Emily had grabbed him by the wrist and was pulling him towards the 'guest'. Now standing barely a foot away from the towering figure of the parent he had never met, Andrei didn't know what to think or say.

He just stared.

And Ivan stared back.

Emily released a deep breath and broke the silence, beginning to lose feeling in her toes. She leaned down and whispered into her son's ear, "This is the guy we nearly ran over." Pushing him forward she coaxed him on, "Where are your manners, baby? Say hello to your father."

* * *

*: America can't speak very many languages fluently, mainly English and Spanish, but she does know how to understand a number of languages due to her background of being the melting pot of the world. She has the language ability of most second-generation hyphenated Americans where they can comprehend what is internationally being spoken, but will butcher languages when given a chance.

**: She is talking about a Basic Army Colt that was first distributed during the Old Western days and were constantly updated with the army, or so my research tells me. Yes, America does bring it everywhere, so leaving it some place does make her a bit antsy.

***: New York's father was the Netherlands, his name, Nicholas Adams, is reminiscent to the days when he was known as New Amsterdam or New Netherlands. Under British rule, the first thirteen states actually had Kirkland as a Surname, such as Nicholas Albany Jones Kirkland, but after the revolution the thirteen all changed their names. In Nick's case, he became Nicholas Adams Albany Jones. The first thirteen are the only states who do not have a name with connection to their fathers, unlike Andrei who has the patronymic name, Ivanovich added to his name (Thanks to MyPrettyRussianFlower for that info).

If you have any other questions about my story please don't be afraid to ask. I will try to answer them the best I can.

Preview of the next chapter:

It was already a bad sign when his dad didn't react, forcing America to mutter a rather audible, "Ivan, say something," while actually giving the fellow country a dissatisfied glare.

For a second, Russia flinched, snapping out of the trance he had fallen into at the sight of the child. Andrei was just so tall, so much more 'grown-up' than he could have imagined. Despite the occasional picture Emily gave him of 'their' son, Ivan was too stunned to believe that here was the boy he sired, nearly as tall as his mother and yet sporting the awkward body of a preteen. America had been right, Andrei did look a lot like him, aside from having blue eyes. From the boy's platinum locks to his potential height and built, if the Alaska was allowed to fully develop like that of his siblings, the state would end up being an American Russia.

"You… you have your mother's eyes…uh" Choking on the statement, Ivan felt his face heat up, pulling his scarf tighter around his face, to keep the reddening of his cheeks hidden.

Stay Tuned! Remember to Review!


	12. Chapter 11

Welcome back to the fic everyone! Thanks for sticking with me this entire time and the AWESOME reviews. I am writing as fast I can, but I've had a couple of writer's block here and there specifically with the following one (two if I split it, it's pretty long) chapters. I've written it, rewritten, it and edited it, but my gosh it's kicking me in the butt. Dang you Russia and your complex characterization. How can a man be innocent and crazy all at once? Haha. That's enough of my woes. I hope you enjoy this next chapter and please review.

**Note:** Russia will speak Russian a couple of times and the English translation will follow in _italics_. All the statements used were plugged into Google Translate so I doubt these are reliable translations.

I will continue working my hardest to get more chapters done before school starts.

Read and Review. Thank you for the support!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

December 29, 2010

12:22 pm

"H-hello…" Robotically, Alaska gazed up and into the gentle eyes of the nation in front of him. He had to be dreaming. This had to be a dream. There was no way his mother would have brought the Russian overseas just to say hello. In a moment he'd wake up, Andrei was sure of it, and his mother would playfully joke about how they didn't have the money to actually invite the fellow country over. Swallowing, the state blinked, not exactly sure what to do or say. This wasn't some type of Hollywood movie or an episode of the Locator*. He wasn't the type of person to throw himself upon his father with tears of joy, and with each passing second, Andrei could tell Russia wasn't much of a crier either.

It was already a bad sign when his dad didn't react, forcing America to mutter a rather audible, "Ivan, say something," while actually giving the fellow country a dissatisfied glare.

For a second, Russia flinched, snapping out of the trance he had fallen into at the sight of the child. Andrei was just so tall, so much more 'grown-up' than he could have imagined. Despite the occasional picture Emily gave him of 'their' son, Ivan was too stunned to believe that here was the boy he sired, nearly as tall as his mother and yet sporting the awkward body of a preteen. America had been right, Andrei did look a lot like him, aside from having blue eyes. From the boy's platinum locks to his potential height and built, if the Alaska was allowed to fully develop like that of his siblings, the state would end up being an American Russia.

"You… you have your mother's eyes…uh" Choking on the statement, Ivan felt his face heat up, pulling his scarf tighter around his face to keep the reddening of his cheeks hidden.

Blushing as well, Andrei had to pull his eyes away from his father. Was this really the scary Communist his mother had warned him about all his life; this hulking man that was now commenting on how he had inherited the American baby blues. The shock was disorienting them both.

"O….k…." America finally piped in, awkwardly at that. She genuinely laughed and took her guest's bags in her hands. "Well, I'm pretty much freezing my ass off out here… uh….Why don't I take these inside?"

Violet and blue falling to her in an instant, Emily didn't give either father or son a chance to protest, hoisting one suitcase onto her shoulder, the other she pulled behind her. She too felt a little warm, emotionally that is, embarrassed for both men in a way only a woman could. She chuckled to herself as she pulled the luggage into the house, " Smooth, Ivan… real smooth. That kid's gonna never forget this moment."

Back outside in the cold, the two shared the resistance to ice in common. Andrei swallowed again, looking down and nudging some snow on the road with his foot. His ears caught the sound of his father's quick recovery, "I am very… happy… to finally meet you, Alaska."

Whether it was a preteen defense or the American state's habit to be rather indifferent to other nations, Andrei's answer was unusually cold, "Same here." He refused to meet his father's eyes this time, unfortunately missing the flicker of disappointment in Russia's gaze.

"You are… almost as tall as your mother, da?"

"Yeah… I guess." Still, the state didn't meet his stare.

"I've… heard… a lot about you from your mother."

"Me too."

Another awkward pause came into being as the nation and state refused to make eye contact with each statement. Ivan released a long breath and in a quick motion extended a gloved hand to the American boy. He watched his son glance up to gaze at it, but instead of taking it in his own, Andrei merely stared up finally meeting Russia's violet orbs. Words refused to be exchanged and the level of tension skyrocketed as Alaska left his father's hand outstretched in the winter wind.

Ivan pulled his appendage back quickly, finding the lack of response embarrassing to say the least. Reddening again, the Russian gritted his teeth. Neither the nation nor the state were prone to be the friendliest of people, and with each passing second the small reunion was becoming a complete failure.

Back at the house, Emily observed the exchange from the living room's large bay window. Her face was contorted in an evident pout as she waited for some sign of communication between the two. The woman exhaled through her nose in irritation, watching the man she had spent half a century fearing and competing with sheepishly attempt to interact with the child he had sired. Frustrated, she growled to no one in particular, "Oh come on, Ivan, put some spunk into it. Alaska ain't gonna keep talking if all you're gonna say is how much the kid has my eyes, damn!"

"We watchin'a football game o' sometin here, Ma?" Came the voice of New York, entering the room from the nearby kitchen with a bowl of his mother's homemade macaroni and cheese in hand. He watched his mother through his thick lenses, noticing the spectacle through the window, and took a bite of his food. Nicholas sat on the couch beside the female superpower. "Ice-cube over there's not much of a talker. They're gonna be there a while."

Emily turned on her older son with a scowl, "Don't call your brother that, Nicholas. I know Andrei's never been the most talkative type, but at least give him some slack here. He's meeting his father."

"Oh yeah, and that big hulking Ruskie standing outside knows how to make things easier, huh?" Virginia commented coolly also entering with a bowl of mac n' cheese. She chuckled and placed herself in a seat across from her family members. "I don't see why you bother trying to let him see Al and all. There's really no point."

The United States sighed again, rolling her eyes. Of her many children, the first thirteen were the states most against reconnecting with their fathers. New York and Virginia had done their own part in fighting for independence from England and since then, had refused to 'bond' with any European country the way they did their mother. She glanced again at the pair, frozen outside not from the snow, but from the lack of relationship between them. "Look, unlike you two, your baby brother's been genuinely interested on the identity of his father. Andrei wants to meet him, and while we could, Ivan and I had to organize something while Putin's in decent mood. I was getting scared he wouldn't let Russia leave in the first place."

Sharing a look, the tenth and eleventh state shrugged their shoulders. Nicholas half heartedly gave a comment about how Vladimir Putin merely wanted Russia to be close enough for a future Russian invasion, but soviet jokes had gone stale pretty quickly. Normally, there would have been continued resistance; however, the two knew that there were some other benefits to this personal meeting between nations other than Alaska being finally able to speak with his father. If Russia left in a good mood after his stay, relations between the countries were expected to increase in a positive fashion. "They're coming inside." Moving from her spot, America left the living room for the door just in time to meet Alaska entering the house. Smile painted on her face, Emily gave her child an expectantly look, "Well?"

America couldn't quite identify what emotion was playing behind her child's eyes as he spoke, "His suitcases, where are they?"

Surprise taking her, Emily returned the statement, confused, "I placed them by the stairs, why?" Unfortunately Alaska did not answer. He quickly walked right passed her, eyes downcast until he reached the stairs where he picked up his father's two bags and began dragging them away. The female nation could only stare after him with concern, yelling out to add, "He's staying in the large guest room!"

A pair of chuckles followed the boy's retreating figure, Virginia and Nicholas not the most empathetic of siblings. At once the two muttered, "Epic Fail."

In an instant the laughs ceased when the two received a deadly glare from their mother country. Virginia made a sheepish face, but giggled softly all the same. New York wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Another word from you two and you can just get out of here." America threatened. She sighed and rolled her eyes before noticing the approaching figure of her foreign guest. Emily allowed her grin to return. "Hello again." She greeted.

The Russian lumbered in without a word, his expression incredibly similar to the state that had just disappeared with his luggage. Silently standing in the middle of his host's living room, Ivan opened his mouth to speak, but swiftly caught sight of the two American states gazing at him with a mix of interest and distaste. What came out of his mouth was string of Russian curses and statements that no one, let alone Emily, could understand in the first place. After speaking in his native language, he heaved a deep breath and apologized, "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

Wide eyed from continued confusion instead of offense, America kept smiling, "Uh… that's fine big guy. It's not like I could actually understand much at the speed that you were talking, but you're forgiven." The woman motioned him to take off his thick winter coat while speaking, "So… how'd it go?"

Raising his eyebrows as he looked down at her, Russia remained mute. He slipped off his jacket without response. It almost seemed like he was demanding she guess.

But a reply did come to her aid from the normally internationally polite Nicholas, "That must be Russian for 'Sucked ass.'"

Virginia burst out into laughter.

"Didn't I tell you two to shut up!" Abruptly snapping, Emily slammed the door to the small closet where she had just placed her visitor's coat, making the frame of the house shake to everyone's alarm. She ignored how Ivan had jumped in surprise to the sudden change in demeanor of the smaller nation. Her intense glare was enough to force her older children to obediently shut their mouths and regret their words. Russia couldn't restrain the shock in his eyes. "Two strikes; one more and I'm kicking you out. You want to be a couple of disrespectful douche bags, that's fine by me, but go and do it somewhere else."

Violet gaze moving tentatively to the deflated states with curiosity, Ivan caught sight of just how strong America's authority was in the house. While the woman's attention was targeted on her children, the Euroasian nation noted that Emily had actually allowed her maternal persona to slip. Very few allies and even fewer enemies knew this side of the current superpower and though Russia had heard of Emily's mothering figure, he hadn't quite expected it to come out this quickly. He, like the many other nations of the world, tended to mock the sole superpower's authority, believing that Emily had gotten to a point where power was something she pretended to have. At the sight of two pale states, it seemed domestically, Emily was still rather powerful.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself from her sudden outburst, America returned to the other country, "Now I have to apologize for that little outburst of mine. They've never been very welcoming of other countries." Without letting her guest respond, Emily guided him to the living room and assigned him to the big family recliner. "Ok, so you've had a bit of a rough start with my kids."

Giving the tenth and eleventh state another fierce look, she kept on, "We'll start over, maybe a bit more civilly this time." Once Russia was in his new seat, still a bit shell-shocked from the way Emily was acting, America began again. "Russia, let me introduce the tenth and eleventh states of the union, Virginia and New York. Nick, Virginia, this is the Russian Federation, Ivan Braginski… say hello."

The last part of her statement sounded more like a command that brought two barely audible greetings from the states in question.

"It… is nice to meet you." Russia simply replied. He eyed Emily only to see something else in her hard gaze. As much as he was flattered that she was demanding her children to show him some respect, Ivan wanted nothing more but to speak with the other country privately. Andrei was the issue here; he could really care less if Virginia and New York chose to speak badly of him, though he did recall that Nicholas was normally a well-mannered young man. Blaming their attitudes on bottled-up suspicions from the passed sixty years, he did his best to give them a gentle and polite smile.

It only made the two recoil.

His stomach uncomfortably flipped making the Russian grimace. If his son's siblings had this view of him, there was a good chance that Alaska felt close to the same way. Ivan could sense a very long road ahead of him and he feared that he hadn't the energy to survive hours of complete rejection from his very own child.

By the time Emily decided to say something again, her voice had returned to its high, stupidly giddy pitch, "Thank God that's over- Do you want some coffee?" Eyes meeting his, she saw the discomfort in his face. As much as America wanted to help her fellow country, things weren't actually going as she had imagined and more than half a century of tension was still hanging in the air, which made the situation just more difficult to deal with. The United States took Russia's silence as a yes and started for a kitchen, harshly adding while passing her older states, "Play nice," before disappearing from view.

Silence took her place.

America's eldest thirteen children had gained a notorious reputation for being the most defensive of her states among the international community, but with how rarely Ivan had visited the woman this had to be the very first time he actually struggled with two states in the same place. American states were rather independent, having their own share of personalities and interests that weren't exactly representative of the citizens that lived within their designated areas. Russia had met hundreds of American citizens in his lifetime and they had all been easy to speak to, but the states were very different, minds narrowed by their mother's power and protection. California was an angel compared to these two.

The sound of footsteps rushing down the steps to the rest of the house pulled the Russian from his thoughts. A moment later Andrei came into view, cerulean eyes scanning the living room without catching sight of the foreigner sitting where he was, "Mom-" The boy began before finally seeing Ivan and falling mute, frozen.

"Andrei come here, hun." Virginia broke the quiet to wave her youngest brother over. The defensive nature of the states had increased tenfold once Alaska had appeared. Even New York had gotten to his feet to join his siblings on the couch, flanking Andrei on the opposite side. With two pairs of eyes watching him with distrust, Russia felt even more uncomfortable.

Alaska kept his eyes down.

If things couldn't get any more awkward, Emily strolled into the room seconds later finding her visitor and children avoiding each other like either side had the plague. Two cups in hand, she placed one mug of hot chocolate in the younger state's hold and another mug of coffee in Russia's. She eyed the conflicting sides with a sigh and took a seat in the loveseat between the recliner and couch. The mother couldn't exactly ignore the atmosphere in the room at that moment.

After observing the lack of conversation and catching sight of Russia begging her to do something with his eyes, America nodded and calmly spoke, "Virginia, Nicholas, thanks for your help today. I think it's time for you to leave."

"But Ma-"

"Now Nick." Emily overcame any resistance she received from her two states with a raised hand and a glance that meant business. "I'll take over things here."

Without another word New York and Virginia finally made their leave. They each gave their mother a kiss goodbye and wished her an early happy new year before slowly heading for the door. Emily watched her two children exit in silence. She failed to notice the look of awe Ivan was giving her at the scene.

After the sound of Virginia's car faded away, America cleared her throat and beamed. "Finally, we can actually get some time to ourselves to talk, right guys?" Failing to get a reply from two rather unresponsive men, the superpower sighed. She always had to be the one smoothing international relations. "So we have a lot of things to catch up on. Where to begin? Any ideas?"

Still getting no answer from either country or state, Emily had to lift herself from her seat and take a few moments to pace around the living room almost casually. She had yet to make it appear that she sensed the cold wall in the room dividing her son from his father. The superpower hid her own discomfort well, struggling to find a way to get them to converse without making it appear that she was forcing her reluctant preteen to do something he didn't want to do. America wasn't exactly close to Russia either, so words of encouragement (which she had many of) weren't exactly easily given to the man. She exchanged glances with each as she walked and hummed to herself the entire way. The female country was going to get them talking one way or another. As she made another rotation around the living room an idea came to mind. America spoke, "So… how was that trip of yours, Ivan?"

Hesitant at first, the Russian took a moment to mull over where Emily was going with this topic. He softly answered, "It was tiring being in the air for so long… but I'm glad to be finally here." He smiled though the warmth was lacking as he struggled with balancing the civility of being a fellow super power and the openness that was expected if he was to get to know his son. "Thank you for allowing me to stay here during the holiday season."

America mirrored the expression. "You're welcome. We're more than happy to have you." Her voice had become polite, very diplomatic, just like Russia's own. It was evident that Russian-American relations rarely became this casual, but the two had to play their roles. The mannerisms persisted as Emily put her son on the spot, "Isn't that right, Andrei?"

Mouth falling open, Andrei stumbled on his words, "Uh…uh… yeah…. sure…"

With the boy avoiding both his parents' gazes, he did not notice his mother's pout or his father's frown of disappointment. America turned to the Russian again, urging the man to do something –anything- to break the ice that had built up between the two. Violet meeting azure, Ivan shook his head, holding an expression that screamed, "How the hell am I supposed to know what to do?" Over their child's head a silent battle of glances and glares were exchanged before Russia leaned back in frustration.

Ever the pessimist (a Russian characteristic), Alaska's father sighed, "Я знал это. Это не собирается удаваться." _I knew it. This is not going to work out._

Taken aback, the state's mother glowered in return. Though the United States wasn't exactly fluent in the language, she knew enough to understand him. "I never said it was going to be easy," She hissed. Despite the European's words, America was confident that things would turn out for the better. It was just the American way to expect the best outcome, even if the Russian way expressed the opposite attitude.

"Хорошо, Вы сказали мне, что он будет готов в течение этого дня." _Well, you told me he would be ready for this day. _Calmly at first, Ivan was quick to remind her of their agreement. He wanted to start off with a clean slate. He didn't want to tell the state things Andrei would not be willing to understand. If the boy wasn't willing to trust his own father, what chance was there that Andrei would even believe him?

"And he is… if you just tried a little harder." Emily answered just as evenly, staring directly at her fellow nation. After so many decades of learning to coexist with the ex-communist country, America could still feel the resistance; the lack of confidence in the entire endeavor they had been planning for months.

The two had hit an evident snag in their plan. Neither had expected that previous attitudes and feelings would have come about so easily. It was that simple, Ivan didn't trust Emily on the level of Alaska's willingness to interact with the nation and knowing that, Emily wasn't going to accept such a reaction. ""Пробуйте тяжелее?" Я попытался нести простую беседу с ним, так как я сначала прибыл так же, как Вы сообщили. К сожалению, каждый раз я делаю он смотрит на меня, как будто я собираюсь убивать его." _"Try harder?" I have attempted to carry a simple conversation with him since I first arrived just as you had advised. Unfortunately, every time I do he looks at me as if I'm going to kill him._

"Well, he's kinda spent the last 60-something years thinking that you will." The smile on the female's face was sarcastic at best. Alaska wasn't stupid, peeking up at his parent nations and listening in on their conversation, though Russia's fluent speech made the dialogue one-sided.

"И чья ошибка была этим?" _And whose fault was that?_ Decades of habitual finger-pointing were beginning to take effect once more. With his last statement, Russia had crossed a fine line.

Physically pointing a finger towards the male nation, America was quick to snap back, "Oh, don't you start with that. We talked about this. You agreed to give him the full story. You agreed to drop everything else, including how I raised him."

"Я согласился сказать мальчику точно, что случилось между нами так, чтобы он мог понять, что я никогда не хотел, чтобы вещи когда-либо оказались этим путем. Но как должный я к тому, если очевидно очевидно, что он все еще думает, что я - безумный коммунист, который часто посещал его кошмары детства?"_ I agreed to tell the boy exactly what happened between us so that he could understand that I never wanted things to ever turn out this way. But how am I supposed to if it is blatantly obvious he still thinks I am the insane communist who has haunted his childhood nightmares?_

"He doesn't! But I can't erase 60-plus years, Ivan." Emily growled in reply. The tension in the room between father and son had given way to the strained relationship between Andrei's parents. Years of misunderstandings and colliding views had been resurrected in mere seconds, proving just how volatile the reunion had the potential to become. The United States released a frustrated sigh, running her hands through her thick blonde hair in irritation. She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, "Will you just drop it? Whenever topics like this come up, you always have to say something about it. Why the hell do you have to be so damn defensive about these kinds of things?"

Вы знаете, что я имею серьезное основание, чтобы быть. _You know I have a good reason to be._

That was the last straw. Straightening to her full height, the female superpower muttered a few choice words that no one could hear. Finally she turned to Andrei who had watched the escalating argument in discomfort. The boy's gaze was sheepish as she began, "Him, do you see him? That's the idiot who decided it'd be a great idea to stop British traffic back in 58. He's also your father, the Russian Federation… NOT the Soviet Union." Turning on her guest, Emily was swift to demand, "You happy? Now you're no longer the boogie man."

Seeing just how quickly Emily had turned on the state to clarify things for him, Ivan couldn't help but quiet down at her words.

"M-Mom…" Andrei cautiously whispered, feeling the anger just burning off his mother's form.

With a sigh to calm herself, America acknowledged him, "Yes, hun?"

Quietly, mumbling his words so only his mother could hear him, Alaska added, "He… doesn't have… to say anything… if he doesn't want to. Sorry."

The apology was enough to stop the returning tensions from the last few decades. His parents, aside from their differences, could see that their spat was having a negative effect on their son. Above all else, Andrei wasn't supposed to feel guilty for being curious about his roots, and knowing her son, America didn't want the boy to build up any more defenses that would make it even harder for Ivan to connect with the boy. Emily's expression softened. Without a second thought she was at her child's side kissing him on the forehead and muttering a response calmly into his ear, apologizing herself for the sudden spat and assuring him that he would get the answers he deserved.

The sight was enough to calm Ivan as well. A weight had embedded itself deep in the Russian's stomach while he observed the mother of his child (not the superpower he had just argued with) say just the words that would wash away the look of concern carved into the state's face. Russia couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. It looked so easy for her. With only words she could get the boy to relax again and open up.

It was like magic, the change that came over the state in single moment. Finally meeting Ivan's gaze, Andrei spoke, "I'm sorry for being difficult with you, Sir. I would like you to tell me about the time before I born… if you don't mind."

Eyes widening, Russia glanced at his host in shock. Yes, the boy was still stiff as he spoke, but this was a genuine request, melting the wall between them ever so slightly. Emily gave him a silent nod.

The nerves returning to him, Ivan couldn't help but chuckle before he could regain his composure. He too took a deep breath.

"Where to begin?"

* * *

Chapter end!

*The Locator: A show about a man who goes around reuniting long lost family members, which normally ends with tears of joy and happiness.

I'm sorry this story's getting long and this chapter's short. I didn't expect it to have gotten this far, but thanks to you guys, I keep drilling out chapters like there's no tomorrow. Trust me, I have a special gift for you guys in the form of an extremely long continuation. If only Russia's character will work with me, then you'll be seeing it sooner than later.

Next chapter, Ivan will take an active role in telling this story… a very active role… But the question is will Andrei be able to take the pressure? I mean, we're talking about Russia here, and I don't think he'll be telling Alaska a tale about cupcakes and ponies.

I'll shut up now. Thank you everyone for reading and the most helpful reviews, you have no idea how grateful I am for the constructive criticism and the numerous compliments.

Next Time:

"Tell me Andrei, do you really want to know?" The maniacal grin plastered on Ivan's face did not waver when he queried again, using the state's human name, which brought Alaska to involuntarily shiver.

Looking to his mother nation for support, the youngest son found Emily avoiding his gaze. For the first time after 60 years of promising him that she would never leave him at the hands of any nation, especially the man sitting before them, the United States of America said nothing in his defense and did not make the decision for him. Head turning back to the Russian, Andrei took a deep breath, his mouth going dry.

He nodded.

Oooh, what's going to happen? I don't know... well I kinda do, but I'm still working on it. Until next time. Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 12

Long time no post, readers. I'm sorry for the delay, but due to a number of things such as the fact that I rewrote this chapter twice (No thanks to Russia, and Andrei's 'awesome' POV section) and that college has started once again, I haven't had the time to work on the fic. What's more I've completely caught up in posting my chapters so now you all have to wait until I get the time to write another chapter before you get an update. I'll try my best to get a move on, still thanks for staying with me and the awesome reviews.

Here's the fic. Long chapter just for you guys. You know the drill, read, review, and enjoy!

NOTE: Also, my computer is acting up so if you find anything weird about this upload please notify me in a review, thanks!

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**Chapter 12 **

**Andrei's Point of View (POV)**

In my family you just didn't ask about your dad. You weren't supposed to ask who your father was or what nation he represented. You weren't even allowed to ask if you looked anything like him. It was one of those rules that seemed taboo to break, but if you asked nicely you'd know it has been broken at least once by each of my 49 brothers and sisters. It was a rule broken time and time again, but it was still a rule.

When I was a lot younger and the bloodless war between my mother and the Soviet Union was still in full swing, I did not know the identity of my father. It was almost tradition that the very first time a state learned about his father nation was from one of his or her other siblings, never Mom herself. I, like so many of my brothers and sisters, followed that tradition, learning about my dad's identity shortly after a certain wall had been erected in Germany.

I remember the smell of cigarette smoke and the sound of laughter. I remember one sister and four brothers playing poker in the game room of the Virginia house and babysitting me at the same time; their voices light but the topic rather serious.

The playing cards were shuffled and dealt as Mitchell spoke. "I'd steer clear of mom if I were you; she's really pissed about what the Commie did."

With a couple of glances at her newly dealt hand, a simple reply followed from our older sister, Penelope, "Well, it's not like she can do anything. Kennedy said to keep quiet about the whole thing; we don't need Cuba to start waving missiles like he did last year."

"Even so, that wall breaks like all the Potsdam agreements, don't it? Here we have the Soviet Union doing random shit willy-nilly and Mom's stuck sitting pretty… again." A card was thrown and Nathan Daniel gave a short sigh.

The response from the fourth state was nothing short of a puff of cigarette smoke, Big Tim casually growling, "Seriously guys, it's a wall halfway around the world It's not that big of a deal. We should be glad that the USSR ain't demanding that we return Alaska or anything like that."

"Shh! He's sitting right there."

I remember having seen four pairs of eyes falling on me in unison. Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, and Texas all looking at me as if I was a threat to their conversation. I was young at the time, too young to even talk properly. However, I was still able to recognize my name muttered by the older state. "I'm Alaska!" I said simply from the coloring book used to distract me.

"Yeah, you are, kiddo." Penelope replied; she ruffled my hair playfully. "Just ignore us and keep coloring while we talk. We are having an adult conversation."

Her few words would've been enough to get me to obey, but Texas had to make sure. "Ya'll better keep coloring unless you want us to send you back to the USSR. Do you?"

I recall shaking my head in instant fear. You were always old enough to know the 'scary' King of the Communists. Of course I did not truly understood why.

"Timothy!" Our older sister snapped. Pennsylvania was the only member of the first thirteen to be in the room at the time. If word got out that they were responsible for telling their baby brother the identity of his mystery father, it would mainly be her in who would feel the consequences. "You shut up! You know Mom doesn't want us to bring that up around him."

"Bring up what? He's only telling the truth, isn't he? Since Andrei's been born, I wouldn't be surprised that his old man would want to take him away. Especially with after that stunt Mama pulled in East Germany." Another one of my brothers chuckled and tapped his hand of cards against the table.

"Mitchell!" Penelope hissed lowly. "I said shut it. If Mom finds out we talked about this in front of 49, we'll be in serious hot water. "

Unfortunately, Daniel wasn't exactly helping with keeping the secret either. "Must be why Mom had that big Air Force base set up out there. We gotta make sure our baby brother isn't kidnapped by a Communist or anything."

"Technically it wouldn't be kidnapping if the Communist's his dad, eh?"

There was a loud crack as Pennsylvania slammed my brothers' heads together. She gained a yelp of pain from both Daniel and Mitch, the representatives of North Dakota and Michigan. She shook her head, her brunette curls covering her face for a moment.

I guess I didn't make the situation better when I asked, "My daddy's a Comnis?" At that time I didn't even know what a Communist was. All I knew was that it was word that represented the source of my mother's unease and suspicions.

Gaining just another uniform stare from my older siblings, I waited for a response. Big Tim laughed, "Well, he's smarter than he looks, ain't he? He's got good ears for his age." He ignored the glare my older sister gave him, exhaling in a cloud of smoke, "What if he is, Ice-cube? Ya'll scared?"

"Bet he is! Don't worry, squirt. I'll drop by during the summer and cover your house in sunflowers it'll look like some kind of peace offering. Or it'll look so butt ugly that no one'll want to conquer you." North Dakota happily offered. He gave me a bright grin and avoided Penelope's attempt to hit him again.

"Whoah, careful sunflower-boy, I heard the USSR has a thing for sunflowers. He might want to kidnap and have his way with you instead." Michigan added with a laugh. Strangely, my brothers avoided acknowledging the true weight of the topic. Like our mother, they had a knack of acting nonchalant with international affairs. Who knows whether it was for my protection or for their desire for a calm state of mind? Another card was dealt and each took a look at their hands.

My older sister rolled her eyes at the immature comments. She attempted to put my racing mind at ease, though it was difficult to say the least. "Don't listen to them, kiddo. They don't know what they're talking about." With a single look she knew that I was interested in learning more, curiosity being a characteristic of mine. "Your dad's the Soviet Union, Alaska. He's the man Mom doesn't like."

"Why?" I innocently queried further as if I actually felt the gravity of the situation.

"Because he's not exactly normal. He's got a few screws loose upstairs, if you know what I mean." Michigan added in his own playful way, but he was serious. I watched him place a stack of brightly colored poker chips in the pot with confidence. "You can say he doesn't play fair."

Texas chuckled and nodded, adding his own share of chips to the center of the table, "Well, Ma doesn't play very fair either, Mitch."

North Dakota jumped in as well, "At least she isn't Communist." There was a flash in his eyes as he placed his entire stash into the fray, "All or nothing. You guys still in?"

Our sister sighed and placed her hand down, backing out for the time being. She eyed me in silence before muttering, "We are going to be in so much trouble if he ends up asking mom about this, guys."

Once again, the rough Tim spoke, watching me without remorse or pity. In his eyes, I saw an indifference to whether or not the truth hurt me. "Don't sweat it Andrei. None of us know much about our old mans either. All of us here have experienced a time when Ma's been at war with at least one of our fathers." He challenged North Dakota's bluff and stood his ground.

Penelope sighed but had to agree with him, "When the first thirteen gained independence, it was Mom who was fighting our father."

"And when Ma fought my Pop… well lets say I wasn't looking forward to living with either of 'em until the smoke cleared." Texas explained, inhaling another soothing breath of nicotine.

"Mom was sleeping with everybody. I don't even know my dad. I forgot whether he was English or..." North Dakota simply elaborated with a mischievous grin specifically in Michigan's direction; his attention more on the stakes of the poker game.

Before giving his own case Mitchell questioned his brother in curiosity, "I thought your dad was a Frenchie, oh wait, I think that was Vermont. Hmph, I'm out." When North Dakota shrugged showing his indifference to the matter, Michigan clicked his tongue, placed his hand face down on the table, and commented flatly, "Well my dad's Canadian."

The four laughed. I didn't get the joke.

Being the youngest son of the United States, I guess I was entitled to the answers to my questions even in such a casual setting. Despite the unorthodox way my siblings went about telling me, they were giving me the truth. With a mother as powerful as the United States there was no way in hell that she would have had the time or the desire to admit that my father was none other than the Soviet Union, especially with the Cold War escalating as it was. I was so young then and even after hearing such things from the four, I wasn't exactly angry or scared. I was just confused. I didn't understand how I could have a father whom my own mother hated.

Smugly Daniel called out his hand, placing his cards face up for the room to see, "Full House, baby. Kings on sixes." He gave me a confident wink and reached for his prize, "Face it, Ice-cube, your old man's not exactly a great guy. You don't need to sweat it though, I doubt Mama's gonna let you leave her sight anytime soon. Still, I'd be careful going to bed tonight."

"Oh shut up, Dakota. Royal Flush." Taking the pot from Daniel's outstretched arms, Tim continued in his own independent way, "Listen up, Alaska. We've all been down this road before. Hell, it's not exactly an easy road either. Nations get into fights… a lot… so even if the enemy in question is your father, it's really nothing new. Who cares if your dad's some crazy, selfish, communist psycho, who thinks forcing other countries to follow his loopy dream of his is absolutely normal. What you need to worry about is keeping that little head of yer's down while Mama's dealing with the bastard. Don't say nothing about it and you should be fine. Keep the knowledge to yourself and don't ask questions. It's Mama's fault we're stuck in the middle of all this. She has her problems and we have our own. As States we have other things to worry about." He released another cloud of smoke.

Exploding into laughter at the sight of North Dakota's disbelief, Michigan placed a hand on my head and I remember him finishing, "Mom's a real complicated lady. Even if you do ask, don't expect a straight answer."

After five decades I knew Michigan had been right with his description of our mother. Though Mom was a normally happy and easy-going parent nation, there were a few things that we couldn't ask her and expect a dependable answer. The topics ranged from money issues to international relationships, and despite the occasional attempt to get Mom to be truthful with us, she tended to merely reply with a laugh and a simple, "It's a secret." A few of my siblings were at times irritated by this reaction, but I never really blamed her. It was the only way Mom could have a little privacy while protecting us from whatever she was hiding.

Whenever I asked her about my father, I could never tell whether or not she was covering up the truth, or describing him in exact detail. I grew up hearing stories about him from my older brothers and sisters, and it almost seemed as if they knew more about him than she did. To the states, the Soviet Union was cold, heartless, a crimson monster who told nothing but lies. They would tell me stories of my father so gruesome that I couldn't sleep at night and when I asked Mom to clear out fact from fiction she would only shake her head, smile, and mutter a "Maybe," only fueling my uncertainty. In some ways Mom fed my Cold War reflex, in others she played no part of how I eventually viewed my mysterious dad. She called him names, she cursed him, but in the end she never did tell me that I had to view my father any specific way. Yes, she did snap at California once or twice during the 60s when he questioned the threat of Communism, yet when she spoke of the Soviet Union as a whole, her anger seemed automatic and artificial; like those ambiguous smiles, it wasn't exactly true.

Even now, as I stare at my mother and father sitting in the same room at peace with each other, I still can't distinguish between fact and faked detail. What were they trying to accomplish? I grew up hating and fearing him, how can I erase decades of that?

Most importantly, how can Mom be so comfortable around the man who had wanted to take her life and mine?

**Normal POV**

December 29, 2010

1:00pm

"I'm surprised that you haven't told him much more, Emily." Russia lightly commented before calmly sipping his coffee. Though the awkward atmosphere in the room had yet to disappear, he could sense the forty-ninth state watching him quietly.

His host rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she leaned against her child's seat. America was quick to explain, "Well, I'm sorry for telling him so much detail, Ivan. For your information, I was waiting for you to arrive so I wouldn't have to mercilessly embarrass you through impersonations. I could've gone a lot faster if I had wanted to, but you're just lucky I've been in a good enough mood to hold off the story until you gave your side as well." The female nation gave her guest a smug glance.

"I'm honored." The Russian replied shortly. He sighed and straightened in his seat, loosening his trademark scarf as he mulled over what he wanted to say in return. Noticing Alaska staring wearily at him, Russia knew that giving his side of the story would have to be the most appropriate introduction to his son. In contrast to Emily's hospitable nature, Andrei was showing that he had inherited much more than his mother's eyes and his father's brooding ways. The two nations had passed on a double dosage of distrust down to the boy as well. "Will I be able to begin where you left off?"

"Hear that, baby? I told you you'd get more of that story, you just had to be patient." Despite America's confident reaction, Alaska's expression said otherwise. For a moment, Andrei turned away almost in distaste, causing his father nation's heart to sink. Catching sight of her fellow superpower's frown, Emily cleared her throat and spoke, her voice hardening ever so slightly, "Listen closely, Andrei. I flew your dad over here so you could get as much of this story as you could want. Don't make me regret doing this now."

Russia didn't know whether to be thankful or a bit fearful of Emily stepping in and coaxing their son to be compliant with the situation. Despite the bright smile lighting up the female nation's face, the Slavic country felt slightly on edge with the way America held herself around her states. After being mutually unsupportive of many of the woman's plans over the last few years, Ivan had nearly forgotten that Emily wasn't exactly the stupid giggling blonde she made herself appear in both the media and the occasional meeting. She was the mother of 50 states and still possessed rather efficient persuasive skills. Ivan watched as Alaska stiffened sensing that beyond America's bright expression was a scolding just waiting to happen. And they said that Canada was the twin who had mastered passive aggression.

Reluctantly, the state gave his undivided attention to the visiting country, his eyes cold and emotionless. It didn't exactly remove Russia's discomfort, gazing into his son's suspicious face, almost identical to his own minus a few centuries and the violet eyes. The Russian had to exhale before finally speaking, "So you stopped at the little incident in London, da?" He didn't try hiding his own look of worry.

Being characteristically ignorant to the room's atmosphere, Emily beamed, "Yep, I got just passed the point that you nearly got run over by Artie."

Ivan uncomfortably chuckled, "Oh, that's… nice." He eyed the state again. He could already feel that his account of the incident would be a failure just waiting to happen. "Emily… why don't you start? I will jump in once I gather my thoughts."

With a deep sigh from her quickly decreasing supply of patience, America nodded and got comfortable, "Ok, but ya'll better pull your weight later. My voice is as hoarse as it is." She took another deep breath and began.

"Well we know that that day in 58 wasn't exactly a good day for me. I had just gotten into another argument with Arthur, I was wearing a dress that were several sizes too small in the boob area, and now I had nearly been killed by a Soviet who thought that using his body as a human break would be just awesome. Seriously, dude, what the hell were you thinking?" Emily glanced at her guest in a moment of disbelief.

Ivan could only shrug in return. "It was the most appropriate method at the time."

America kept on, "I got to thank my lucky star that I didn't get killed that day, but you can bet your britches that I was pissed off. The entire Cold War was full of our attempts to push each other's buttons and you wouldn't have been able to take much of it too with how creepy he acted during the whole thing." The nation she had been speaking about remained politely quiet as she continued, speaking directly at Andrei as she further explained, "He was breaking every rule in the book by being on NATO territory and threatening our lives so I made sure to give him a piece of my mind, with England and Canada as back-up, of course."

While the mother went on, nothing on her face gave away the gravity of the event she was describing, to Alaska's surprise. The state allowed his gaze slip to his father nation for any signs of discomfort. As countries, Russia must've remembered what would come next, but the Eastern European showed no signs that he felt uneasy about what Emily was going to begin to depict, though there was a hint of concern hiding beneath the surface of his eyes. Looking to America again, Andrei noticed a lack of tension in the air. The boy knew exactly what would happen next thanks to a certain Englishman, yet he could tell that he was the only person in the room who was the least bit content to hear about the argument. Emily made a dramatic gesture with her hands, expressing the account through actions as well as words, which was very characteristic of the entertainment capital of the world. "So there we were, face to face. The Soviet Union and I already at each other's throats, threatening each other but never backing down. I will admit, my nerves were wound tight and seeing him wasn't gonna to make my day, so I ended up yelling at him. 'Are you trying to get us killed, you effing Soviet?'"

Andrei listened closely recognizing the familiar statement, slightly altered by the other story-teller. Before she could go on, a thick accented voice echoed into the air, adding color to the account by quoting himself almost word of word. "Perhaps. Your irritating voice tells me things did not go as planned, da?" There was still a lack of tension as the man, once known as the Soviet Union, innocently responded, the child-like demeanor nations knew so well being expressed.

Yet hearing Russia speak was enough to make goose bumps rise on Alaska's skin. Having heard those words before, the boy found that hearing them again in his father and mother's voices had added another entire dimension to the story.

For a moment, America was caught by surprise and made eye contact with the visitor. Her content expression grayed as she silently agreed to continue, "So, what in God's name are you doing here, Red? You trying to make Great Britain 'one with you too'?"

Attention flying from his mother to his father and back again, Andrei swallowed difficultly. If this encounter had made England so uneasy, who could say that the two Cold War nations themselves could avoid turning the simple account of that day into a modern-day argument. Mind wandering a bit while his parents repeated the words exchanged decades prior, Alaska tried to pinpoint the reason as to why neither nation seemed angry nor uncomfortable while speaking words that had once fueled their hate towards each other. The state's stomach churned. Six decades. They had despised each other for six decades and yet here they were, even joking about it as they spoke.

"They were very scared for you, Emily." Russia lightly commented, eyes trained on his host. Andrei couldn't help but shiver at the sound of the man's voice, not used to another nation, except for Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, call his mother by her human name. It felt foreign coming from his father nation's lips. It felt weird to hear the heavily accented voice recite it. "I wasn't expecting your brother to be the one threatening me with a weapon."

With a laugh, completely oblivious to her child's confused discomfort, America whistled, "Gotta confess, big guy. I didn't expect he'd have that shotgun on him either, though face it, Matt and Artie were pissing themselves in fear because of you. Matthew couldn't hurt a fly."

"Are you sure it was because of me? I do recall it might've been due to the fact that you were confronting me. They were readying themselves for whatever you were about pull them into." Ivan raised an eyebrow expectantly as Emily went over the scene in her head before nodding when she saw he was right.

It was strange, too strange for the forty-ninth state. What were his parents actually talking about? England had been quite clear that his father was ready to shoot Emily down at any moment if she didn't comply to his wishes but here they were conversing about it as if it had been a simple exchange between friends. "Ok, so I had completely forgotten my weapon."

Andrei perked up at this last statement, yet found Russia as calm as ever, "You were unarmed, da."

Emily's face lit up with slight interest, "Good, and you weren't exactly giving me the 'I'm so happy to be a daddy' vibe either, if you get what I mean." Pausing, the woman took a look at the state finally sensing a bit of confusion on his part, "Though, not many of my states' fathers do."

"Well knowing the history of your pregnancies Emily, I had to verify his paternity from the beginning." The conversation was too polite, too civil for Alaska. And with each passing second it was becoming clear on his young face that they were losing him. He had expected more anger and fear, more hate dripping from every word. The state felt a headache coming on and held his head at the temples. This didn't make sense. Hadn't his mother been terrified? Hadn't his father threatened to kill him, still in his mother's womb? Maybe it was the decades of action movies and dramas that made the American state asking for more. The scenario hadn't been this simple. America had assured him that the Cold War was far grayer than that. "Are you alright… Alaska?"

Glancing up, Andrei found the two nations had turned their attentions to him. As a state who hated being put on the spot, Alaska blushed and shook his head, mumbling an "I'm fine." Unfortunately, his mother was quick to see through it and slipped into the seat next to him. Emily wrapped an arm around her child and reached out to feel his forehead in a maternal gesture. "You feeling ok, hun?" She didn't hide her pout when the preteen sized state pulled away from her in a show of embarrassment. "Andrei-"

"I said I'm fine." Alaska snapped. He looked away realizing that he had allowed his discomfort to slip. Knowing America, his behavior wasn't going to be ignored if he was going to act like that. When the state turned back to his parents, he had barely missed Emily give their guest a mischievous grin. In a quick motion, America grabbed her youngest son in a headlock. "Mom!"

Russia did not comment on the scene before him. Alaska struggled in the female nation's hold for a few minutes, protesting loudly without success. Emily ignored the boy for the time being before she questioned him, "Asking you again, eskimo, is something wrong?"

"No!" Alaska growled. The Slavic country had to admit, seeing the boy in his mother's grip like that was rather humorous. Ivan chuckled.

"Really? You getting bored already?" Emily tightened her grip slightly, giving her son enough room to breath but not much room to do anything else.

"Mom!"

Still holding him in place, the superpower decided to continue on with the story as if she didn't have her state wedged under her arm. Her unusual strength wasn't easy to ignore now coupled with her parenting style. "Ok, so where were we? You and I were doing the same old thing, arguing and threatening each other."

Going with the flow, Ivan agreed, "I was trying to see whether or not rumors were true, and that you were actually carrying my child."

"And I was trying to make sure you never found out I was pregnant with Alaska, but you weren't willing to play along."

There was a second's pause, barely noticeable, but it was enough of a signal for Andrei to become aware of what was really amiss with the way his mother and father were talking. Until that moment, Andrei had heard different accounts, all very specific in nature. His mother was a type of storyteller who liked adding as much detail as she could, but for some reasons, the two nations were being vague.

They weren't painting a picture for him to see. They were merely showing glimpses of that day before lightly commenting about it without acknowledging the seriousness of that moment. "So your dad was trying to get me to spill the beans about you and tell the truth, but like hell was I going to actually tell him I was going to his kid. I put up a fight before finally Scotland Yard came and was finally able to intervene."

"What about the gun!" At his call, Emily was forced to stop and look down at him in confusion. Her face didn't show that she had purposely skipped that little detail.

"What?" The reaction was uncalled for leaving America surprised by the outburst.

"He had a gun and he was going to shoot you if you weren't going to tell him the truth."

In reply came his mother's high pitched giggle though her hold had loosened enough for him to slip out of it without much resistance, "What you talking about, Andrei?"

"You came at him unarmed and you weren't going to let him know about me, so he threatened to shoot you through the stomach."

Blue eyes refusing to back down at this fact, America played dumb. "Now who in the world told you that, Alaska?" Russia remained silent as mother and son faced off.

"Yes, he did. England said that even after Uncle Mattie distracted him long enough for you to get away, you grabbed him by the scarf and demanded that he tell you why he was here, so he pushed his gun into your stomach and said 'Guess, _suka_,' whatever that means. How could humans have helped you get away from that?" Freezing, Andrei realized his mistake and the way his mother had twisted her words for the answer she wanted.

Whatever warmth that had filled the room was gone in a heartbeat as America coldly replied, "Oh so you had England tell you about this as well did you? Andrei Ivanovich Juneau Jones, you know the rule in this house. You aren't supposed to get involved in international exchanges without my knowledge."

"But mom he said-"

Mama America was quick to reprimand her state, throwing on a serious demeanor that her guest was interested to see. "I don't care what he said. The fact is that you decided to ask another nation a favor without my permission. Andrei, I told you to sit tight didn't I? You're not supposed be digging for more when I'm not around. I promised you I'd tell you, I even brought your father here to tell you everything you wanted to know."

"But he's right, you know?" Russia calmly interrupted. In his eyes he held no anger or sadness at hearing his son so livid about the missing detail, instead the older nation seemed to understand Andrei's desires. "I would have shot you if we hadn't come to the agreement."

"What?" Turning on the other superpower, Emily balked and shook her head. "Ivan-"

"I did say those things to you and did a lot more, Amerika. If he truly wants to know what those things were, I think you should tell him. " Reverting to using her country title, he spoke seriously and without faltering. He took a drink from his cup of now cold coffee.

America gritted her teeth and continued to shake her head. She returned to the state, "You should have never asked. You should've just waited for me to tell you."

Feeling a strange wave of support coming from the mysterious foreigner's direction, Alaska did something he rarely did. He actually fought back, "But you're hiding stuff from me too. You said that whatever you told me before wasn't all true, but how can I believe you when you're not going to tell me everything yourself."

"I am …I was…" Emily found herself cornered, "Goddamn it, Russia! If you think it's that easy to describe what happened then you say it!"

The Russian stared at the woman unfazed and quietly moved his attention to the young state. He took his host's retort as an invitation, "Alaska, do you know what _suka_ means?" When Andrei shook his head, Ivan opened his mouth to enlighten him, "It means-"

Seeing just how serious the man was about leaving out no detail, America released a long breath through her teeth, "Oh God." Things were going to get ugly.

"…Bitch." Leaning towards the northwestern state, Ivan kept on, "And do you know why I was there?"

Once again Alaska shook his head, reaching up to push the platinum locks from his face as he did so. "No, Sir."

The simple and almost gentle tone to the Russian's voice abruptly fell away. Ivan allowed his face contort into one of his trademark childlike smiles, even if his next words came out like daggers to Alaska's dreams, "To prove to the world that your mother was nothing but a selfish, capitalist slut, that's why."

Emily watched in horror as her child paled completely in the face of Russia's sudden, crude, and painful explanation. Alaska's father had thrown on the innocent and yet deadly persona he seemed to love showing to the other nations. And like America's own characteristic ignorance, it was an act that her children did not know and weren't supposed to see. Speechless, America didn't know whether to fake stupidity and interrupt her fellow superpower, or let her son feel the blunt and nasty truth about international relations.

Observing the state he had sired, whatever truly went on in Ivan's mind was hidden behind the unnerving smile painted on his face. It was a defense really, but neither American knew that. While America avoided pain and misfortune by telling little white lies, Russia was notorious for telling the truth, and in his own way, stretching it so far that whatever emotions and experiences built the memory, their power was multiplied; even if he had to give up the facts in the process.

To Emily there was no pain. To Ivan pain was everywhere. For some reason, he wasn't going to excuse his very own child from that. "Picture this: You're mother was lying to me and thought she could get away with not telling me that her little sex game had gotten her pregnant. She did tell you that it was her idea to seduce me in attempts to find my weakness, I hope. I wasn't very happy, you see. You do not lie to the Soviet Union. So I made sure she stopped her little game… by attempting to get rid of you myself. It was a very simple plan."

Something reminiscent to a growl rose from the back of Alaska's mother's throat as she did her best to control the emotions that raged within her body. However, the most powerful nation did not move. Torn between wanting to the strangle the male or begging him to leave their son out of the most inner ring of Cold War events that only the two knew about, Emily could do nothing. "Let me tell you this, boy." Ivan continued to balance between his child-like insanity and a merciless parenting style that rarely left a child unscathed. The Russian giggled, "Ask any of your Mama's nation friends and they wouldn't be able to tell you what really happened that day. Yes, the United Kingdom told you a few things that your mother did not want you to hear, but do you really want to know what occurred after I put that gun to her stomach?"

For the umpteenth time, Alaska was put on the spot, but the boy did not blink. For some reason, the state couldn't breathe. With his father fully taking over and showing a side of himself that Andrei had only seen in his nightmares, it felt as if he was being shoved into a bucket of icy water, only to be pulled out and questioned on his dedication to learning about the months leading up to his birth. Emily might've filled her own story of interruptions, maybe to hide the facts that she did not think he could stomach, but she never once asked that he think about his decision. She asked him to keep a clear and open mind, to think of his father as one thing instead of the other.

It began to dawn upon the state that his mother had been guiding him, making sure she told him a story that was perfect; twisting the tale so he didn't have to become burned by the past that he had wanted to hear. Now, with Ivan ready to give his side of the story, Andrei could feel himself being pulled in an entirely different direction. The past to his father was not edited, but full of raw detail and emotion; so much so that the Russian was even giving him a chance to deny the man the role as narrator. Russia was giving the boy a choice, the path Emily had been taking him down, painless but missing almost every other piece, or the trail the man was about to drag him down, missing barely any of the pieces and yet filled with secrets that would get an average man killed for knowing. Alaska's sire wasn't asking the boy to see things any certain way or even keep an open mind; he was asking that his son survive and realize just how complicated the Cold War was.

"Tell me Andrei, do you really want to know?" The maniacal grin plastered on Ivan's face did not waver when he queried again, using the state's human name, which brought Alaska to involuntarily shiver.

Looking to his mother nation for support, the youngest son found Emily avoiding his gaze. For the first time after 60 years of promising him that she would never leave him at the hands of any nation, especially the man sitting before them, the United States of America said nothing in his defense and did not make the decision for him. Head turning back to the Russian, Andrei took a deep breath, his mouth going dry.

He nodded.

**August 3, 1958**

The Soviet Union sighed, the smirk leaving his face for a millisecond as he raised his arm and placed the nuzzle of his pistol against Emily's stomach. "Guess… _suka_."

It was funny how easy it was to deflate the female nation's rage. She was still so young she couldn't even hide her absolute terror whenever he made a move. The Soviet Union chuckled at the pitiful sight of the young woman, a teenager by all means who knew nothing about the world. The way the blood left her face at the touch of the gun to her middle, the way her body froze when those words tumbled off his tongue even if she didn't exactly understand him, the way the fear strangled her and did his work for him. It was such a beautiful sight. The United States was such a fun nation to toy with. So stupid. So foolish. How fun.

Initially, Emily did not answer the challenge, caught up in the realization that the enemy knew her weakness and was in the perfect place to utilize it. "Oh, what in the world could be wrong, Amerika? Did I break the West's little heroine already?" The Soviet did not remove his hand from its position, eyeing the pregnant country closely. "You see, a little birdie told me that you were in a bit of a predicament. It is rumored that you might be expecting a child. Is that true?"

On the Soviet Union's face was a look of pure curiosity, though his ulterior motives were evident in the background. When he did not receive an answer he continued to play along, "How unfortunate for you. How in the world will you be able to get anything done if you are having little bastards left and right? You are much more confident than I first thought, Capitalist slut. You must enjoy spreading your legs."

"Shut the fuck up, you bast-" The man couldn't help but release a giggle when he pushed the nuzzle deeper into his fellow superpower's stomach and made Emily instantly stop. Being so close to the woman, the Soviet watched each bead of sweat begin the trip down the blonde's face. After a few seconds, she attempted to regain her composure. America spoke in even tones, "Ok… ok… T-that's enough… Don't be an idiot, man. I don't know what you're talking about."

Rolling his eyes, Ivan shook his head. It wasn't any fun if she played the dumb card, though the American was naturally stupid. If he really wanted to make her squirm then he'd need to play a little rougher. The larger country cocked the pistol and grinned at the woman's flinching form. "Oh… I think you do." He muttered dangerously. "Maybe you did not understand me. I shall ask again, da? Tell me… is there another little parasite inside of you?"

It took a few seconds for the stupid woman to finally meet his gaze. America was going to treat this situation seriously, whether she liked it or not. Her sky blue eyes burrowed into his own only to realize that she would not be able to see his thoughts and discover his plans. The female nation licked her lips and then suddenly let out a laugh. She made another rather gutsy move and released the man's scarf, lifting her hands and placing them behind her head in a confident show. A grin took over her face, "If I do… are you going to kill me to get rid of it. Pretty fucked up, killing unborn babies and all, but that's pretty normal to a Red like you, huh?" She had regained her composure, barely reacting when the Communist country shortened the gap between them.

It was because of those stupid spontaneous acts that Ivan hated everything about the woman. She went about the world as if she didn't give a hell about the laws of the land or who ruled it. When it would've been a smarter move to give in, she was ready to do the exact opposite and instigate the man who had the ability to kill her and her unborn child. The smile didn't leave her lips. What was she planning? She wasn't daring him to act out the threat was she? For the first time, the Soviet Union's face hardened in reaction. "I find that quite offensive, Amerika. Maybe you should remember who you are speaking to."

"Oh, you gonna shoot me because I made you feel bad… Aw, poor baby." Her voice had gone high as she taunted him. In one calm and slow motion, she placed a hand against his cheek without faltering. She did however remain stiff, staying as cautious as she would be if she had been doing the same to a grizzly bear. A recognizable move to too many a male nation, Ivan swiftly grabbed the outstretched arm with his free hand and squeezed tight. Emily did not react when his grip had become increased enough to break bone. She blinked through the discomfort, "Geez, you're real sensitive today, aren't you hot shot?"

She was testing him, challenging him with her eyes. No, wait. She was just buying time, wasn't she? The Soviet forced himself to lighten his expression and return to his manic innocence. "Very funny, _suka_. You are lucky I am in a playful mood or you would no longer have that stupid smile on your face." He glanced at her companions for a millisecond to see if they had made a move. They hadn't. Neither was powerful enough to stop him. He heightened the level of pressure he had holding her arm and enjoyed how she finally let out a small exhale of breath to stomach the pain.

Unfortunately the move still did not faze the blonde, who stood even straighter after expressing her distress. "So you actually going to tell me why you decided to make the dumbass move of coming all the way here, into NATO territory, without reason. Was it really just so you can ask me if I was having another kid? Last time I checked, I didn't need someone's permission to get knocked up."

"With the children of any man who is dim-witted enough to sleep with you." Ivan mused simply.

America laughed again, "Yep, men like you, right?" The statement had been a reaction to his words, nothing more, but the Soviet Union had caught the subtle meaning that hid between the lines faster than the American. Disbelief passing through his eyes for barely a millisecond, he caught sight of the pregnant woman freeze with paralleled realization. Alas, Emily continued smiling. "Gotta make sure that little birdie of yours knows what he's talking about. You look kinda surprised."

The silence that followed allowed the tension in the air to skyrocket. A boundary had been crossed, one that divided an apathetic, almost habitual spat between the two nations to an actual personal conversation with dire consequences. Mere offensive retorts would not deflate the situation now. Emily had thrown the snowball, but in doing so had started an avalanche.

"Oh, I am." Ivan found himself carefully admitting, maintaining his innocent façade. "However, you do not think I would actually believe something as crazy as that, do you?"

"You think I'm bluffing?"

"Da, it is in your nature. As it is your nature to have sex with more than one person in a given period of time." His tone taunted her with its gentle disbelief, hiding the fragile doubt that hid below the surface. He was more than aware of the many occasions the United States had gotten pregnant as a strategic plan B, yet there were also times when those same pregnancies were also pure accidents. Human birth control could not work on countries, a nation's fertility dependent on the actions of his or her government and economy, and everyone knew just how well the Soviet Union and the United States had been in both areas the past decade.

The female superpower licked her lips before tugging her arm from his grasp without much protest on his part. She allowed herself a glance in the direction of her comrades who hadn't made a move since the very moment Canada had fired the shotgun. She wasn't stupid; she understood neither would act now that Ivan knew of her unborn state's paternity. The child was now within the spectrum of Soviet-American relations, an area no country could touch unless they wanted to get nuked to the ground. Her eyes shifted back to her fellow nation at hand making it obvious she had turned to gaze at her supposed allies, lying was out of the question now. "Do they look like they've had the time to fuck me? You've been the only one who's been free enough to go drinking now that you're Mr. Head Honcho of the USSR. Everyone else has been too busy pissing themselves in fear that you'll be knocking on their door at any moment."

Ivan frowned and prepared his counter. He noticed the woman's eyes grow cold as she spoke, confessing a truth that only they could actually speak of lightly from their places at the top of the world. He played with the idea of being the newest member of Emily's list of baby-daddies. The fact that it was to be a child of the American did not sit well with the Soviet. "How… unfortunate…"

"Ain't it? So you still going to shoot me? Seriously dude, I know you have a reputation, but murdering your own kid won't be the nicest thing to put on your resume." America knew how to play her cards, protecting her child by using her weakness as the very defense that would keep them both alive. It worked every time.

After a moment for the truth of the statement to register, Ivan conceded to her words, but was quick to recover. "You really do think you can get away from this don't you? Fine, if you truly want to be a _suka_ so be it. I will let that child live, however it would be better if it was raised away from those Capitalist lies." The effect of his words was multiplied by a seemingly glad expression and his final words, spoken as if he had offered to change a light bulb out of mutual respect for the other. "I would be more than happy to take it off your hands once it's born."

As soon as Ivan finished, the wall of confidence that America had built came crashing to the ground. The desperate shock in her eyes gave way to a quick and sudden, "Hold it! Like hell you will. This baby's-"

"… Yours…?" With a chuckle Alaska's father changed his strategy. If America did not back down from threats of violence he'd have to threaten her stability as a world power, something he knew the female nation was very sensitive about. "I recall having a very active part in its conception. Speaking of which, how long will it take before everyone knows about this little screw up."

"My baby isn't a screw up."

"Oh, then you planned this to happen." Ivan gladly watched Emily come in terms with where he had been leading her the whole time. She glared. "Ah, so I guess we'll just have to tell everyone how you, 'Ms. Free World', or 'Ms. Down with the Communists', were the one who brought about this situation."

America paled at the information. She opened her mouth, yet no words came out. The USSR kept on, basking in the knowledge he was winning the battle. "I think I'll go to the next UN meeting and share a few things about – I don't know- how everything you've told the West have been lies, how you're just another hypocrite, or maybe just how you had me drink with you- 'to smooth out relations'- only to have sex with me so you could get pregnant. Now that-"

"That wasn't the plan-" Emily was stuck between a rock and a hard place listening to the man's ideas. She gritted her teeth, "You know that. You knew that I was trying to-"

"… to what? To get me to drink until something important 'slipped'? Alcohol doesn't affect me as easily, Amerika. Oh, do you want me to say that instead? I'll tell them all how you truly get your information. How you keep your allies close but your enemies closer. Now I don't think the members of NATO will be very happy to hear you are willing to sleep around to get what you want."

With every retort, the Soviet Union found America shrink, her bold persona overridden by the threat of losing her allies' support. Sweat drenched her face as she stared at him, daring him to put his words to action. "Y-You… T-They won't believe that. Y-you were completely aware of what I was doing that night. I-I wasn't- I didn't… They won't believe you!"

"Really? You are willing to tell every nation on Earth that you are pregnant with the child of the Soviet Union… that you were fine sleeping with him… but won't even allow him to take a part in the infant's life. What does that sound like? Practically every single one of your pregnancies, which we all know you have used to control your enemies **and** allies."

The fear from earlier returned and caused the woman's body to stiffen. The USSR basked in the knowledge that he had won this battle. "I am not fucking with you, Amerika. And I won't be any time soon. But if you don't want your 'friends' to lose that trust then I think that you should make the very wise choice of placing the child in my care after it is born. If you do, I would be more than happy to play the villain in this heroic charade of yours."

Once again Emily found herself caught between choosing what her national need for security was telling her and what her maternal instincts were screaming at her to do. Ivan's proposal was the first of its kind. None of her states' fathers had ever demanded that she give them the baby she held. Watching the female super power struggle over the decision, the Soviet Union clarified her position with an almost pitying tone. "Now what are you to do, Capitalist whore? Divide and break down this Western Alliance you are so proud of by telling everyone how you chose to get pregnant with my child for a less than ethical defense? Or hold me accountable for impregnating- no, you can even say rape if you want to- and be the victim. Of course that would mean the territory of Аляска would go –return- to me."

"You… bastard. There is no way…" America was deathly pale as she spoke, her mind spinning trying to come up with a way to escape this corner. She had been placed in this situation, where she had to choose between having a baby and sustaining an alliance, before, but this time she faced the decision to sacrifice her child for the sake of keeping all her allies. The Soviet Union had planned it perfectly. Even if the woman chose to place the newest state in his care and keep her allies, he'd have the child as the perfect key to all her weaknesses. If she chose the alternative, Emily would be stuck raising an infant state with no ally in sight.

Sounds of footsteps broke into the tense silence as Scotland Yard and several squadrons of the British army came into view. They surrounded the scene waiting for the order to shoot the threat at hand. Time was running out.

"Choose, _suka_." Ivan's gentle words had given way to a clear order. His expression hardened.

Averting her eyes, Emily bit down on her lip. The nausea from the last few days and an exhaustion that had been building since she started showing symptoms of her pregnancy were returning. She felt sick, her body shaking under the physical, emotional, and mental pressure. The adrenaline had long since dried out. Raising her hands to her stomach she did not notice the Eastern European nation fidget uncomfortably at the gesture, missing a momentary break in Ivan's act. With a deep breath, Emily closed her eyes, her next word barely audible, "I…"

**Normal POV**

December 29, 2010

5:00pm

Russia stopped speaking, swallowing with difficulty after four hours of nonstop narration. He glanced at his son hesitantly, fearful of the boy's reaction. The only expression on Andrei's face was disbelief yet the nation could tell the state was caught in contemplating over what he had just heard. The door to the neighboring kitchen opened with a click, breaking neither man's stare. Alaska had been so drawn by the story this time; he hadn't noticed his mother leave the room. Emily handed her guest bottled water she had brought from her trip to the kitchen. Following her came the scent of hamburgers, their dinner for that evening.

The state finally realized that his paternal nation had gone silent. Andrei didn't sound angry as he spoke, he was more confused than anything, "Wait… but… but what did Mom say?" The defensive side from earlier that day had been weakened by this newest perspective. However his true feelings seemed hidden.

His mother answered in his father's stead. "I never answered." America crossed her arms, her voice unusually somber. "I..."

Climbing over the wall of her pride Emily confessed, "… passed out. Not the most awesome change of subject, but hey, I hadn't slept or eaten right in days. I scared everybody around though, even him." Motioning to the Russian, she received a nod in agreement. "It was enough of a distraction for the entire British law enforcement team to 'end' the encounter. So you can say I escaped with us both intact."

She smiled and gave a weak chuckle, but no one said another word. Watching the Russian drink from the bottle thankfully, America took over again. "I guess we can take a bit of break. Dinner's ready. Let's eat."

It didn't surprise her that only Ivan moved, heavily lifting himself from his seat and stretching his cramped muscles. He bowed politely at his host, doing more than just acknowledging her idea, but asking her what they would do now that Andrei had gotten the story from a different perspective. The male superpower lumbered away and into the kitchen after a silent exchange between the nations. He left the mother and son to recover from the terrible encounter.

Once the foreigner was out of earshot, Emily began, "What's on your mind, Eskimo?"

Alaska's mother didn't expect to get a reply, eyebrows rising as her youngest son looked straight at her and shook his head, "I… I don't know." Scowling, Andrei ran a hand through his hair, "It's… complicated."

"What'd you think hun? The Cold War wasn't a bunch of rainbows and lollypops."

"But…I thought… He was just… he…"

"He what?" Blue meeting blue, America gently urged the state to speak.

In a tone that expressed the disbelief the boy was feeling, Alaska spoke, "He… wanted to keep me." Breaking his gaze, Andrei paused before whispering, "I thought… I thought he wanted me dead."

Andrei found his mother beside him as the statement ended, wrapping an arm around him casually and yet with full understanding. She held him for a moment, "I thought so too… but if I had been able to predict what he was actually thinking the Cold War would've ended a lot sooner." Emily laughed, "I told you, the war wasn't black or white. Your dad wasn't good or bad… but I was too stubborn to believe it."

"Is that why he had you marry him?"

The state watched the woman's eyes go distant, referring to an event far in the past. She sighed and completely ignored his question, "Things haven't changed you know? He still wants you… wants to get to know you that is. Be nice to him. He's trying pretty hard to keep a straight face in front of you, to look tough, but trust me, if he could have his way, he'd be bawling, the big crybaby. That or his heart would've fallen out by now, which isn't a pretty picture."

Standing, Alaska made a noise to tell his mother that he had heard her, but changed the subject, "Can I take a bath before I eat?" The boy was running away; he needed to let it all sink in.

"Go ahead." America answered. "Don't be long."

Emily followed her child's form until it disappeared from view. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and exhaled once more. She hated seeing her son this conflicted. States weren't supposed to get involved this deeply, but despite her desire to protect him, America knew it was the right thing.

Sitting alone in her living room, the United States replied to Alaska's question, "No, baby. I was the one who begged him to marry me."

* * *

**To be continued…**

I hope you guys liked the newest chapter. I had to put Andrei through the wringer because from here on out we'll be seeing a very different narration style between Papa Russia and Mama America. Let's pray that I can finish the next chapter soon, if my Regional Security class would just let me. In my quest to be as realistic in terms of international relations and the like as I could possibly be, I apologize if the characters start sounding OoC.

Please review and tell me what you think. Are you confused at Russia's mixed signals? Well you're supposed to be! Haha! No, seriously though, please comment with anything you are wondering about or suggestions you might have.

**Preview for Next Time (Very Short, May not make sense):**

The teasing smirk did not go away, "My God Ludwig, you're so tense." Emily watched the European nation redden, the man aware of her form pressed against his in such a blatant fashion. Still, America laughed Ludwig's discomfort off, "You seem to never relax do you? And you're not going to be taking part in the meeting in the first place. What are you so worried about?"

"Uh-"

Emily pulled away as quickly as she had come forward. Her attention diverted elsewhere to another presence making his way into the hallway from the other end of the corridor. For a second, her expression faltered at the sight of the approaching superpower, the mask of bold, careless confidence slipping only to be pushed back on.

"Are you scheduling your next allied fuck already, Amerika? We have yet to sort out the consequences of the last time you used your body in attempts to get what you want."


	14. Chapter 13

Good day, readers. Sorry for the delay. College is just lovely. I've been experimenting new writing styles lately- trashed them all for the time being. I've been trying to balance fiction and realism in this fic here, especially as I am majoring in Political Science and International Relations, which means, as funny the hetalia canon-verse is, I am tempted to lean towards what's actually happening politically. This kills me, as I want to add some RussxAme in this, but I might just add tidbits for our enjoyment. I may or may not add more author's notes about certain interactions the countries have, but I don't know if you guys will be interested in hearing where this fanfiction ties with modern and past politics. I am also revving to write a side story about Andrei meeting Vladmir Putin for the first time, alongside Russia of course, and giving Russia's adventures in delayed fatherhood a side fic of its own. Just short one-shots. What do you guys think?

I talk too much. Here's another long chapter, so long I had to split it into two parts. I am working on Part 2 right now, and once it's done, Ivan becomes the dominant narrator and we will get to see what happened during the Cold War Wedlock. Well at least their marriage was longer than Kim Kardashian's was. I don't know why I know that. Expect Part 2 sometime in two weeks, hopefully. I have midterm in three days, and two essays to write in that time. I will try to put time aside to write it.

Here is the Chapter. Read and Review, please post your views on the issues above. Thanks. I love you guys!

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**Chapter 14 Part 1**

**December 29, 2010**

**5:25pm**

The United States entered the kitchen with her mouth closed, unusual for the female nation. She walked right passed her fellow super power while he observed her quietly and carefully. Russia did not make a sound, feeling the need to be cautious around Emily, whose presence seemed to add a blanket of tension in the air. He sat down at the small breakfast table in the room and continued to wait for his host to say something- anything.

A plate was placed before him in silence, one of Emily's many hamburgers sitting pretty and ready to be eaten. Ivan eyed the stereotypical meal and smiled out of politeness, but didn't make a move to touch it. Instead he watched America as she worked on another burger, which she added to the table before pouring a cup of coffee for herself despite it being 5:30 in the evening. It wasn't until she had served herself the beverage that she finally sat down across from him.

Russia felt like he was at an interrogation as a pair of blue eyes gazed at him.

He smiled, feigning innocence, only to have the woman reprimand him in an instant. "You're an idiot, you know that?" America said crossing her legs and arms as she did so. "Do you want your son to like you or don't you? Because with the way you're going about it, I think we'll need to reschedule this Moscow trip in **another** 50 years."

Eyes widening, Ivan found himself at a loss of words. He wasn't sure as to what he had done wrong, but being on American soil, it wasn't exactly his place to deny such charges. "I don't understand."

"Oh shut up." Emily retorted without actually acknowledging her guest. Russia did not know how to react to such an order, whether to be offended by it or shocked that she would blatantly make such a statement. "You just had to describe in every single little detail how you were willing to get rid of him if I didn't hand him over on a silver platter. Not cool dude, not cool."

"I really don't see what was wrong with what I told him. The boy said he wanted the detailed account… and I gave it to him."

"How generous of you, Ivan." She replied, rolling her eyes at her use of sarcasm, "But the last time I checked we're trying to get your son to trust you. Instead, you go ahead and make him doubt his very existence. Great job Ivan. You've just won the World's Best Dad award."

Russia felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. He didn't hide the dejected look on his face. After a moment of thought he added, "So I am not allowed to tell him the truth and yet you can lie to him as much as you want."

The man watched his fellow nation growl defensively, "Are we pointing fingers again, Ivan, because that's really not the point here."

"I'm not accusing you of anything, Emily." There really was no heat in their conversation. Neither nation was in the position to despise the other, but frustration was present. Pulling at his scarf, Ivan rubbed his neck under the cloth's folds while he considered the issue they were discussing, "However, the boy seemed more offended that you were choosing what he needed to hear."

America pursed her lips into a pout as he made his point. However, unlike the previous two retorts, she didn't make a move to speak. Something came across her face as she took a few seconds to think about their current predicament and Ivan knew that she was serious about her desire to get the boy to trust him. "Well as his mother it's kinda my place to make sure he isn't scarred by everything he hears. Technically, I wasn't lying to him. I just wanted to make sure that his conception of the Cold War wasn't-"

"Biased?" Russia finished for the woman. "A bit late for that, don't you think Amerika?"

"Don't start… Commie. I'm not playing that game right now." With their son out of the room, the two nations were beginning to revert to their old selves. As diplomatic as they wanted to be when Alaska was around, almost a half century of tensions was not easy to let go. Emily shook her head, leaning against the table, "You don't get it do you? I didn't ask you to come here, paying for your flight and everything, just to have you feed whatever crazy image he already has of you. We're here to tell him, to show him that the Cold War wasn't what others know it as. To explain to him that the Cold War, despite what he's heard me tell him for the last 50 years, wasn't just me and you trying to kill each other."

"I understand. However, don't you think giving him the incomplete truth is just as bad as telling him nothing?"

"It's not the incomplete truth, Ivan. I told him my take, and I was waiting for you to give yours."

"And I did so, to your evident distaste." It confused the Russian when his host placed her head in her arms, showing that he had given the wrong reply. He just didn't see what was the point in not being painfully honest with the state. It was clear that Andrei had been living a rather biased existence, but wasn't it the goal to let the boy see the other side of the coin as well? "What's the matter, Emily? Do you not want me to tell him my experiences during the Cold War or do you? It seems unusual that after bringing me to your home to speak with the boy, you are against me speaking at all."

The American peeked out over her arms while he spoke. Her glare gave her guest an ambiguous signal, which continued to confuse him. Russia heard her give a heavy sigh before collapsing back into the nest of her arms like a moody teenager refusing to communicate directly. He gazed at the blonde before asking, "Tell me, did Andrei know anything about us before his birth at all?"

Emily moved her head side to side, but did not verbally answer.

"Did he truly want to find out what happened during those few months?"

Once again, America moved her head, she nodded this time.

"Then I am here to tell him about those months, is that not right?"

Another silent nod.

"Now I do not understand. If it is your desire, more importantly, his desire to learn about the events that occurred between us before his birth, then why are you so indignant about what I told him?"

There came a growl from Emily's arms as she muttered something that Ivan could not comprehend.

"Why did you choose to disregard the fact that I was going to kill you before I knew he was mine?"

Another unintelligible statement was spoken into the wood of the table.

"Was it because you did not want me to tell him it was you who brought about the situation? Did you want me to tell him that I was the one who forced you to have sex with me? That isn't exactly what happened, da?"

There was a motion from her head, but he couldn't read it.

With every unusual answer, Russia was becoming more impatient with the female nation. He didn't know what was worse, having the American feign stupidity or stubbornly refuse to give a straight answer. Both tactics frustrated him greatly. "Amerika…" Speaking gravely, Ivan narrowed his eyes at the woman, "Are you trying to defend your-"

"I was trying to protect you, damn it!" Emily nearly screamed, pulling herself up quickly and slamming her hands against the table with enough force it gave way violently under her strength. Her cup, the plates, and untouched burgers fell to the ground with a crash, ignored by both superpowers.

The United States and the Russian Federation sat still in the following silence, watching each other carefully. It was a dangerous moment, one of those few occasions when it felt as if all the hate and suspicions of the past four decades of indirect struggle would return. Fortunately, Ivan found the action not as threatening as it initially was, more interested in her words. He was the first to break the uneasy calm, "'Protect' me?"

Getting to her feet, America turned away in defiance and to hide the fact that she was blushing in embarrassment at the outburst. She crossed her arms and refused to face the Russian. The female superpower took a deep breath before she strolled to the other end of the kitchen, opening a broom closet where she pulled out a mop and broom. She was able to regain herself as she bought time with her actions. Leaning against the mop, she gazed directly at her guest, "Look… do you think I didn't tell Alaska anything? I didn't keep him in some igloo all his life, but it wasn't like I was going to tell him that his father wasn't something to worry about either. If you want to consider the whole 'choosing what he wants to hear' thing as my strategy to put all the blame on you, go ahead. But at least get something right, Ivan." The nation took a deep breath, pulling aside the chairs from the table's remains, "Andrei has never had a chance to relax since the day he was born. He grew up during a war where his own dad was the enemy. Don't you realize what that means? Four decades of arms races, four decades of watching his mom constantly worried about the threat of a single man, four decades of listening to his brothers and sisters describe you in so many terrible ways that you're little narration earlier was a cakewalk."

Emily paused to breathe and work on mopping the mess she had made. Her words burrowed into Russia's mind and slowly began to sink in. America continued, "Even after the Soviet Union fell- just because you got a new title and were starting fresh- I never considered correcting what he ended up learning. It took me two decades before I even had the courage to contact you about the potential trip to Moscow." There was an exhaustion in Emily's eyes, the exhaustion of a nation and mother combined into one. It was clear that she was struggling to find the right way to explain their predicament. "I'm not trying to be politically correct here, and I'm not going to hide the fact that I wasn't very politically correct during the last century either. But what I'm trying to say is- that your son has always known one side of you… and the less sane one at that. With the path you're going down now, he's never going to be able to see you as his father."

"States are different that way, Ivan. They aren't able to work with other nations and see every point of view. They are given one side of the story and have to live with it, unless I choose to change things like I am now. What's more they're all pretty biased. Yes, I wanted to avoid telling him about our 'conversation' in London, but that's because he doesn't need to hear another story about the Soviet Union being the enemy. He doesn't need to hear another story about how his parents were at each other's throats again. Trust me, I've told him all that. He's read books on the subject." She picked up the pieces of the two dishes that had once been what held her coffee and his meal, throwing them away. Emily folded her hands behind her back and leaned against the kitchen counter on the other side of the room, staring directly into her fellow nation's eyes. "Ivan, you need to make yourself human for once. You've had this problem for as long as I can remember; you're going to end up pushing your son away."

America finally allowed herself a smile in her guest's direction, who gazed at her with wide eyes. Ivan didn't know what was more disturbing, the fact that Emily had admitted his weakness in his face or that she was actually urging him to get close to Alaska. Even the way she held herself had changed from her earlier outburst, and Russia was certain that he wasn't looking at a nation, but his son's mother.

Russia smiled back; he understood. He wasn't going to hide the truth from Andrei, but he wasn't going to continue scarring the boy like he had done so earlier. Maybe he had to work less on forcing Andrei to understand and more on understanding Andrei. "Emily, I-"

"Mom, are you ok? What was that crash?" The peaceful atmosphere that filled the room quickly disappeared when Alaska rushed into the room only to trip on his pajama bottoms and come crashing to the floor. His parents winced at the sight, their smiles brightening.

"I think we should be asking that same question, hun." His mother nation commented in return. She laughed. "Well, at least I know you'll come running if there's an emergency."

The state had fallen in close proximity to their guest, who, after a moment to consider his options, stood up and approached him. Leaning down, Ivan had to glance in Emily's direction for approval before saying, "Are you alright, Andrei?"

Alaska looked up at the Russian with caution. The boy pulled himself up onto his feet, finally answering, "I'm fine." Brushing himself off, he looked at the carnage that had once been one of his mother's oldest possessions, the table dating back to before the revolution. "What happened to the table?"

"Oh this? Yeah, 230 years can do things to wooden furniture. That or nearly starting World War III with your father wasn't the best idea." America said nonchalantly. Her eyes fell on Alaska's pant legs bunched at his feet. "Those pants look a couple inches too long, Andrei. No wonder you were such a clutz."

Receiving a pout in return, Emily glanced at Ivan without a word, inviting him into the conversation despite Andrei's lack of interest. Russia sighed and inspected the pajama bottoms, dark blue with the words 'North to the Future' printed yellow on its left side, an interesting detail to say the least. His son did not move when the state noticed the Russian approach him, "They must be difficult to walk in. I had the same issue with pant length when I was growing up as well."

The observation shocked Alaska, causing the boy to move away from the foreigner out of sheer confusion. He was more than surprised to find that his paternal nation's demeanor had changed within the last hour. Whatever Ivan had unleashed upon him during their previous conversation was safely shut away somewhere. There was now a gentleness about the Russian which the boy didn't know existed. A pair of hands took him by the shoulders suddenly, his mother coming up from behind him. "He's offering to hem them for you kiddo*. He's not going to eat you. Speaking of eating, hungry? I made burgers."

America allowed the boy to mull over the offer, watching him glance in the direction of his father. Russia gazed back, but the less than sane innocence was gone and only a peaceful and yet powerful demeanor remained. It reminded Andrei of looking over the quiet frozen plains up North, a sight that made him feel at home and yet vulnerable at the same time. The state had recovered from his first experience listening to his father, but he fidgeted and stepped aside, increasing the distance between himself and his Russian parent. His blue eyes met his mother's, who was quick to read his mind, "Oh don't worry, kiddo. No one's gonna talk your ear off with depressing stories. Though it'd be great if you had dinner with us if you're up to it." She continued to grin while she handed him a burger, "I guess we'll just eat in the dining room, huh?"

To Ivan's disappointment, Alaska shook his head, "Can I eat downstairs?"

Despite having the authority to force the preteen to spend time with them, Emily didn't push it, waving her child off with a pout, "Fine… go ahead and be emotionally distant, freaking emo… see if I care." However, she gazed after him as he walked away, almost with pity. It didn't stop her from also yelling a motherly, "Comb your hair, will you? You're looking too much like your father."

The quiet that followed persisted until both nations found themselves in Emily's dining room, attempting to eat what the woman had whipped up. When they weren't arguing over something, the two countries could only feel awkward around each other, a barrier that neither wanted to admit was what made the reconnection with Alaska just more difficult. It wasn't as if they had had anything in common, and politics was far from being the appropriate topic to discuss during a meal. They could have easily continued on about Andrei, but conversing about their son was a difficult subject as well. Finishing her burger, America licked her lips and leaned back in her chair, looking across at her guest, "Well, ain't this just entertaining?" When her attempt at sparking a dialogue fell flat, she felt her face warm up considerably. The occasion wasn't the same as an official meeting and they really had no serious international business to talk about. She watched the man in front of her, observing how Russia had not acknowledged her when she had spoken, currently preoccupied by his half-eaten burger and personal thoughts. His expression reminded her of Andrei, who sported a similar look when something was heavy on his mind as well. She found herself weakly smiling.

At the moment Ivan looked up, violet eyes meeting hers, Emily felt herself instinctively pull back and straighten. A second barely passed before the man questioned and ended the silence, " 'North to the Future', what does that mean?"

"You're talking about his pjs, right?" The female nation explained, still a little stiff. "It's Alaska's state motto."

Russia nodded, "Custom made?"

"If you mean 'Made in China' sure." Emily admitted, embarrassed. "Every Christmas I try getting the states an individual gift and a family gift. This year I decided on getting all fifty personalized pajama sets, state motto on the pant leg, and their initials and state seal on the top. When you have so many kids you end up buying in bulk so where else better to buy than Yao's place."

Ivan didn't push the subject, changing it calmly and respectfully, "You…" This time it was his turn to be a bit self-conscious, the European nation averted his eyes as he spoke, "You are a good mother."

Surprisingly, the normally self-centered American shook her head, shocked and very much flattered by the comment. She had never received a compliment on her parenting skills. Normally, when a country did talk about her children they were complaining about how much she neglected them and allowed them to get away with too many things. "No, no, I'm actually a terrible parent. All my kids practically take care of themselves." Laughing uncomfortably, Emily sighed, knowing that she was repeating the very words she hated "I'm just in control of the family purse strings, but you know how that's worked out. Even then, New York can easily run Wall Street on his own if he wanted to."

Listening closely, Russia chose not to comment on how differently America was acting when talking about the fifty states. Their current conversation must've been the first time Emily had spoken to another nation, other than Canada and England, about her children in her own home, which had unconsciously changed how the mother nation went about it. Maybe it was the shock of meeting his son for the first time or merely the jetlag from traveling from one end of the world to the other, but Ivan was intrigued by Emily's demeanor, so different from the loud, conceited, and energetic superpower he had always known. The Russian found himself chuckling at his observation, gaining a curious look from the woman.

"What are you laughing at? Is something wrong?"

"Nyet. I was just thinking about how peculiar you are acting. I do not recall you ever being this subdued… I wonder whether it is unhealthy or healthy for you to be this… quiet."

"Oh shut up Commie." Emily joked out of pure habit, her choice of words casually overlooked by her companion. At the same time her statement had been an attempt to try to bring back the characteristics that her fellow country recognized, with poor effect. She excused herself, "You never wondered that in 58 and I remember being real quiet during my stay."

The Slavic nation raised an eyebrow only to abruptly connect her words to the memory he had forgotten he ever had. He remembered the silence she spoke of, the first and only time he had ever gotten America to surrender to him during the woman's pregnancy with Andrei. Of all things he remembered her eyes, dead and lifeless, having had submitted to a level so low that even Ivan couldn't stomach it. Russia swore he felt goose bumps and a heavy dread- or was it regret fall to the pit of his gut. It was a day he would have to tell Alaska about; one of many causes of the two nations' strained relations to this day. "Uh-"

"Anyway…" Ivan wasn't sure if Emily had moved on for a reason, her own eyes having gone distant a second before, or if it was just another moment where she had chosen not to read the atmosphere, "If we're gonna walk down memory lane, I think we'd make a lot more progress if we did so with Alaska. He's still downstairs, so I know if we work together we can end this night on a good note."

Russian nodded, but wasn't able to reply as Emily began again, "But first I need to lay some house rules before you tear whatever progress we have to the effing ground." She raised her index finger and counted off the rules, "First, everything you say to Andrei must be true and relatively unbiased. If I hear him say one thing about moving to Moscow, I swear shit's going down. Second, I understand the need for detail, but please don't traumatize him with so much his brain turns to mush. I know he's old enough to be hearing certain things, but I don't need you confusing him with politics. Third, like I said before, make yourself human… or at least normal sounding. You said yourself you don't want to be the subject of his nightmares, so stop describing yourself like you should. And finally…"

Taking a deep breath, the American finished, "I did as much stupid shit as you did during those few months, so if I miss anything, anything at all- like that gun- even if it makes me look like a whore or whatever… tell him. I didn't expect things to get this far, but hell, we're here now, might as well make sure he knows the whole Cold War thing wasn't one sided." She concluded the rules in one breath and got to her feet leaving the dining room without another word.

By the time Russia found his host again, America was standing patiently at the door leading down to the basement, as happy as ever. She motioned him over to a part of the house the nation had never visited and together they descended the carpeted steps to the entertainment room below. Not once did Ivan question her on the rules she had previously established, but he was now certain that he wasn't the only one having a hard time looking back.

The basement entertainment room was a large space taking up the entire width and length of the house is lay beneath. Its walls were a deep beige and the white carpet that spread throughout the house covered the floor here as well. What looked like a poker table and a game of darts stood at the corner nearest the stairs while the rest of the house's entertainment was spread throughout the rest of the basement. A foosball table lay close by. All around the room were shelves of board games, puzzles, movies, and video games, organized rather neatly and yet in a way that it was clear that they were still regularly used. On the opposite wall was a huge flat screen television, nearly the size of the wall it was attached to, America's private theater. And sitting in the large reclining leather couch was Alaska, eyes fixated on the screen, clicking away at the Xbox 360 remote in his hands and muttering orders into the speaker of his headset.

The two nations remained silent as the young state played the game. Like a normal human child, even Andrei couldn't resist being pulled into the game, oblivious of the world around him escaping the drama upstairs for a few hours of mindless mission completions and leveling up. Russia noticed the headset his son wore and finally set his eyes on the video game itself.

Eyes widening at the sights and sounds of a rather violent war scene that Alaska was currently immersed in, Ivan glanced at his host for an explanation. He hadn't expected to find their son avidly mowing down countless soldiers with what looked like an AK-47 while occasionally throwing a grenade or two among the carnage. At one point, he swore he heard his native language mixed into the dialogue.

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." Emily answered without even looking at him and loud enough for the game to abruptly stop and show a short menu for the paused mission. He found Andrei turn his head in their direction with an expression of pure terror, as if he had just been caught committing some crime. "It would be better to use the WA2000 you get at level 36, hun."

"I haven't reached that level yet, Mom." Their son answered but began to the turn the game off all the same. He spoke into the speaker of the headset, "I have to go, Mom and my, uh, came in. We'll play again later."

There was an audible "Aww," from a high pitched voice over the line before his fellow gamer said a few more things which the boy replied to calmly. He ended the conversation before either parent could ask him who he was talking to. The state gazed up obediently waiting for his mother to speak.

"How you feeling, babe?" Emily queried, "Was that Hawaii you were playing with?"

Alaska nodded and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "Hana says Tony's staying at her house right now, as it's too 'fucking' cold up here to hang out and DC's being annoying." As if on cue, the fat family feline, lovingly named DC** after the capital, came strolling in from the closet at the back corner of the room. Emily picked the cat up and snuggled against it.

"Aww, how could he say that about DC? This little guy won't hurt a fly." Pouting, Alaska's mother circled the couch and sat beside him, placing DC in her lap. She motioned for Russia to join them, though the man was currently making sense of the conversation. "Just wondering if you want us to continue where we left off?"

Transferring his attention to the Russian hesitantly, Andrei found his face being pulled back towards his mother nation as she noted. "Hey, he got his turn already."

With Ivan settled, she didn't wait for an answer. Jumping into story-telling mode, oblivious of her state's previous experience with the account, she was more involved in her own presentation. However, Alaska listened attentively and didn't make a sound.

"We'll fast forward about a couple of months. There was a big UN meeting and it was only then did I see your father again." She did not look in said country's direction as she continued. In her own little way, America submerged herself in telling the tale, a trait she had learned from England though she would never admit it, and in doing so submerged her listeners in as well.

**September 25, 1958**

Emily's body ached and her mind swam. It wasn't exactly nausea, but it was something in her core, something that she knew threatened her unborn child's life more so than any nuclear weapon could at that very moment. Glancing coldly from her place at the large window overlooking the East River of Manhattan, she caught sight of it, the thing that made her insides churn with discomfort like a knife held inches away from cutting her open and ending little Alaska's premature existence.

The President's hands. The hands that could pick up a pen and sign a veto. The hands that belonged to the man who had full control of her choices, her relationships, and her body. The hands were what scared her and angered her for she knew what they could do and that Eisenhower was prepared to do it despite his promise to give her more time.

He had given her more time. He had fulfilled that end of the deal, but she hadn't, no, she couldn't. Marrying an ally was out of the question now, for what would have been viewed as a simple alliance before was now an obvious move to get another nation involved in her affairs. Both she and her boss knew that, but still Eisenhower was expecting her to do something she could not do without endangering the entire union. If all else failed, he was more than willing to sacrifice one state for the safety of the rest of his nation.

She gripped her elbows and stifled a defiant hiss, her arms crossed tightly over her chest while the President continued speaking, "…and as the Soviet Union is aware of the pregnancy, you will need to deal with this detail before it explodes into something we cannot control. I would have preferred that you had kept the state's paternity a secret as I can only predict that he will exploit that fact for what it's worth today. You were debriefed on what is expected of you to do, is that right Jones?"

"Yep." Emily answered too obediently and gladly for her taste. "Beat him to the punch, accuse him for having instigated the situation, and reinstate that the Alaskan Territory belongs to the United States. There will be no room for negotiation; the state of Alaska will join the union despite its background and the circumstances of its conception."

"Exactly." She watched her boss lean back in his chair, using the reflection of the window. He was looking at her just as intensely, trying to read her body language and look for any signs that she was thinking of doing otherwise. "Damage Contol, Jones. Today's meeting between you nations must be dedicated to deflating the issue fast and reassuring our allies that you are willing to make the necessary measures to regain their trust."

"Yes Sir." Once again she replied without emotion, programmed to respond. However, the gears were still turning, searching for another way to maintain the tense balance she was threatening by getting herself pregnant. Trust wasn't the issue. It was Ivan and his unpredictable actions that made everyone currently behind her on edge. They could trust her to fight if she had to, but they couldn't be sure that Ivan would hold back and allow the West five and a half months of maternity leave. The debate was made difficult over the choice to fight on one's own or allow the pregnant America to lead the battles against the man that had made her this way.

Releasing a sigh, Emily checked her watch, noting the time. There was less than a half hour left before the impromptu conference was to take place at the United Nations Official Headquarters in New York where she currently stood. "Hey, Ike?" Finally turning and smiling at the President, the female nation threw on her confidence and self-centered persona. "Do me a quick favor, won't you? Remember those documents we had on file for the United Kingdom to sign during the marriage we didn't have last month. If things go well, I'll try looking into that merger. Though, who'd want to get involved now, right?" She laughed.

Despite the President's suspicious gaze, Emily did not show any sign of ulterior motive. He nodded, "We already have them on site." He paused before further explaining, "You've had enough time to this, Jones. Get this merger done, or I will have no choice but to veto that state."

America winked, internally feeling uneasy, "Perfect. You're the best, boss."

A knock on the door drew their attention away from the matter and to the brunette who stuck his head into the President's temporary office against the wishes of the Secret Service Agents standing outside. Fortunately, it wasn't as if the agents weren't aware that the young man, who looked barely in his early twenties, was the eleventh state of union, currently playing host to every member of the United Nations. Nicholas invited himself in, "Good Morning Mr. President, mother. I'm sorry to interrupt, but the meeting will be beginning soon and as I've been hearing from the nations, I don't think mother should be arriving fashionably late."

Happy for an escape, America approached the exit only to be stopped by the Commander in Chief once more. "Stick to what we agreed to Jones. No more screw ups."

"Will do, Prez. See ya' later." Without looking at him, the woman slid out with her son and began to walk away rather quickly, attempting to distance herself as far away from the room as she could. Once they were safely out of earshot, she turned on New York, "Your Good-Boy act makes me want to puke, Nick. Since when have you ever called me 'Mother'?"

"Since the day I realized acting civilly around you has its benefits in public. Besides, Ma, if I talk normal all da time, no one'll understand aword I say." The state finished casually before returning to a more understandable form of speech. "So I noticed you're all dolled up. Are you sure being pretty is going to be effective today? I don't think you'll be able to sleep with everyone."

"Shut up York."

New York snorted and continued to look over his mother without answering her. She was dressed in a neat suit, a dark navy blue jacket covering a stylish white blouse with black accents. He noticed the sapphire studs in her ears, her professionally styled hair, and pair of polished high heels. Nicholas wolf-whistled, "You're taking this paternity thing pretty seriously, ain't ya?" He glanced at her belly, its size hidden by the jacket but its shape rounding the front of the outfit ever so slightly. His mother was 14 weeks in, but she was already showing, her body accustomed to carrying infant states. "Still, I've been speaking with the other twelve and none of us have actually gotten a straight answer from you, Ma. What the hell are you going to do to get the Soviet Union off our backs? If things are going to get worse because of this kid, maybe we'd better think of an alternative."

"I said shut up."

"Ma, Alaska isn't even on the mainland. If we have to back off so that the USSR won't come knocking at our door, I'm for it. Just take a vote and you'll see that almost everyone thinks so."

The look Emily gave her state was deadly to say the least. It had enough power to silence him and force him to give up on getting his point across. However, America understood what New York was implying and she wasn't going to blame him for wanting to take the pragmatic route. There were a number of advantages in cutting their losses. "Mom…?" Gazing at the eleventh state once more, Emily pulled out of her thoughts and found her son's expression one of concern, rare for her older states. He exhaled and placed his hands in suit pockets, "Are you sure you're going to be ok?"

It took her a moment to let the question sink in, a moment too long. Nevertheless, she grinned positively, "Psh, of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"Then what the hell are you planning?"

Maintaining the confident expression, America looked around, "Do you really want to know?" They turned a corner and began to hear the voices from the rest of the UN, a few halls down. By the sounds of them, it seemed France and England were at it again. Emily's voice fell to whisper, forcing Nicholas to lean in to hear, "I… have no idea."

Without further explanation, the American grabbed her son and gave him a kiss on the cheek, the adult state pulling back with shocked disgust (ok, he wasn't exactly disgusted by having him own mother kiss him, but he was very surprised). She began to walk away before New York could react, leaving Nicholas behind.

Looking back as she escaped the situation, she failed to see the man standing just around another corner, with whom she collided. A strong arm caught her before she tripped over her heels. The woman swiftly regained her balance and slipped out of the grip of the stranger she bumped into. "Oops, sorry." Her eyes fell on the blonde German before her.

The Federal Republic of Germany wasn't supposed to be there***. As he wasn't a member of the United Nations, he found it odd to have been invited to attend the last-minute conference held by the group. He had spent much of the morning keeping his eyes peeled for the country who had made such a decision, while sidestepping the other world powers who felt uneasy having him there. Now that Emily was in sight, he had forgotten what he was to say, instantly sensing the presence of another life form inside her. The German stiffened.

"Oh, Ludwig, I'm so glad that you could make it. You were just the man I wanted to see." She meant it too, hoping to have gotten the chance earlier if her boss hadn't stopped her. "How are you?"

West Germany, as he was called at the time, nodded. His face held a mixture of curiosity and confusion, finding it more than odd that he had been summoned by the American woman to attend the meeting of a group he wasn't part of. All he truly knew was that she had called him up for an important matter, but he hadn't discovered what it was or why she hadn't merely contacted him overseas. Eyes taking in the superpower's appearance, he paused at her middle before shaking his head and moved on. "Good Morning, America."

The expectant nation giggled sliding up to the man and wrapping her arms around his own. "Oh come now, Ludwig," She teased, " Don't be a such a square. I told you a long time ago to call me Emily. We're allies now, remember? No need to be formal."

"Yes, Ame- Emily. What would you like to ask me?" Ludwig asked, once greetings were over. He appeared rather lost to the host nation's motives, but followed her lead all the same, just as he had been doing for the last decade. The empty hallway allowed their voices to echo making him the least bit comfortable.

America tugged him forward, the man relenting and allowing the superpower guide him in the direction of the conference room. "You're always been so straight to the point, Ludwig. I've always liked that about you. You can say a few words and people… listen. Very efficient." West Germany did not know whether Emily was being sincere or merely playing diplomat, he chose the former for her sake.

"Uh, _Dankeschön._"

Continuing with what she wanted to say, the blonde woman stopped abruptly and turned to the newly sovereign nation. "I was wondering if you'd tell me a little about your brother. What was his name again… Gilligan? No-"

"Gilbert." Ludwig corrected her before frowning. The uneasiness at the pit of his stomach grew at the reference. Emily had met his older brother dozens of times, the Eastern nation fond of boasting that it was he who helped put the US on the map. What would the American want with East Germany?

"That's the one. He's currently part of the Soviet Union's gang isn't he?"

It was a stupid question that she knew the answer to, yet he still replied, "_Yah_, he is."

"How often do you visit each other? Lately, the Soviet Union's been a real dick about you two hanging out, but if I do recall, Gilbert still has access to West Berlin." By referring to the difficulties the brothers were having over the continued restrictions the USSR kept placing on the German Democratic Republic, adopted by the man previously known as Prussia, she made it obvious she was leading him with her supposedly ignorant questions.

"We try at least once a month. Aside from the restrictions on the border we choose to meet in Berlin. However, my government has discouraged the visits lately.****" With a single look from the female, the man was urged on, tending to still bend to such influence. "He spends much his time in Moscow with the rest of the… Union."

"You mean the satellites." Emily added much too simply. Receiving a nod she went on, "Are any of them here?"

The question was easy enough, but under the female nation's bright almost oblivious nature West Germany sensed the heaviness of her words. He cleared his throat and answered without comment, "I did see Ivan arrive this morning; however it's clear that he will be the sole representative of the USSR during the day's deliberations." He was frozen when America decreased the distance between them without warning, their faces inches apart.

The teasing smirk did not go away, "My God Ludwig, you're so tense." Emily watched the European nation redden, the man aware of her form pressed against his in such a blatant fashion. Still, America laughed Ludwig's discomfort off, "You seem to never relax do you? I'm just asking a few questions. What are you so worried about?"

"Uh-"

Emily pulled away as quickly as she had come forward. Her attention diverted elsewhere to another presence making his way into the hallway from the other end of the corridor. For a second, her expression faltered at the sight of the approaching superpower, the mask of bold, careless confidence slipping only to be pushed back on.

"Are you scheduling your next allied fuck already, Amerika? We have yet to sort out the consequences of the last time you used your body in attempts to get what you want."

One could see the desire to return the larger country's statement with a well-versed cuss, but for West Germany's sake Emily remained civil for the time being. "Good morning, Soviet Union. I hope you realize that making assumptions on my affairs is far from polite."

"I apologize." Ivan admitted before chuckling, "I will keep that in mind when you yourself make that same mistake, which would most likely happen at least a few dozen times during the next meeting. However, I can't help but pity our friend Ludwig here, having to swallow your Imperialist lies whenever you see fit. I can happily say his brother is having a much more enjoyable experience."

"Who's really enjoying it, him or you? Last time I checked having Communism shoved down your throat isn't exactly fair either." Neither nation made a move, exchanging their words without escalating the already suffocating tension between them. The verbal battles rarely had a winner.

West Germany swallowed with difficulty.

The two superpowers ended their short dialogue with an abrupt burst of mutual laughter, mocking each other with a tone that dared the other to guess what was hidden behind their cold spat. The Soviet Union shook his head through his scornful smile, "I hope this meeting will be as eventful as all the others. I look forward to hearing your answer to the proposal I made you. Fainting was a rather pitiful escape." Ivan paused only to emphasize the final words in front of West Germany. "Unless, of course, you would like me to announce that in a few months you will be giving me a child." Without another word he went on his way down the corridor before disappearing from view.

After the Communist had left the two in tense silence, Ludwig caught sight of the normally energetic American release a long and exhausted sigh. Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly as if Emily was actually relieved for the encounter to be over. It wasn't like her to show another nation a sign of weakness, but before Germany could point it out, America was smiling again, her old self returning in seconds. Her blue eyes met his own, compelling West to dare speak about what he had heard or had seen.

"You are having… **his child**?" The normally stoic man felt his voice taper off weakly despite his resolve to openly react in front of the superpower. He wasn't going to easily forget the exchange anytime soon even if Emily demanded it.

"Well, it ain't rocket science, hun." There was a hint of irritated sarcasm in the woman's words. Placing her hands on her growing middle and patting it affectionately, Emily made a playful offer, "You want to feel?"

West Germany recoiled.

Rolling her eyes, America moved her arms to the back of her head, "God, Ludwig, I told you to relax didn't I? No need to keep looking at me like I'm going to break into a thousand pieces or anything." When the German continued to look at her with a mix of shock and discomfort, she continued to push him, "Ludwig, seriously, I need you to listen up now. Yes, I'm having another kid, and as you might've heard, its father might actually be the Soviet Union too, but you don't need to worry. Just do what I say and I'll keep you out of this."

Aside from her casual way of referring to world events, Emily hit the nail on the head when she referred to keeping West Germany from getting involved with this newest Soviet-American struggle. Ludwig had enough on his plate trying to keep his country on good terms with the rest of the West as well as trying to maintain a neutrality that would keep Ivan from becoming ambitious. He would have to approach whatever Emily was about to ask with caution.*****

"You are the only person here who is not allowed on the UN floor today, which means you can get around a lot easier than me. While I sit there and get stared at by every single nation in the room, I need you to keep the peace when I publicly announce the statehood of the Alaskan territory and verify that the head of the Soviet Union is the father of this bun in the oven. Got it?"

She watched his eyes widen before West opened his mouth speak, "What? But America-"

"Emily…"

"E-Emily… Why…. Why would you?"

"That's not something you need to know, West Germany." The authority behind the response was uncharacteristic of America's casual demeanor, but having an active part in the defense of the newly 'sovereign' Federal Republic of Germany from the USSR, she still had a bit of influence over the male nation. "Once news gets out about this I need you to make sure the members of NATO do not lose it over that fact that I'm having the Red's kid. I'm going to handle this myself if I have to, but speak to the guys for me and tell them that whatever I propose today as a solution is final and I don't need anyone trying to say otherwise. Francis has already been threatening to stop his support of NATO since he got that new boss and found out I tried marrying England a few weeks ago, but right now we can't have the Soviet Union see a conflicted West. Do you understand? I'm not going to openly pull anyone into my affairs at this time, but I need someone to vouch for me. Will you do it?"

"Well…But… I need to think-"

"There's ten minutes until the meeting starts, Ludwig, it's either you say yes or no. It's not time to think, it's time to do."

The United States of America wasn't giving the man an alternative. She was smiling at him as she spoke, but Ludwig was fully aware that each statement she made was actually an order instead of a request. If he denied her now, she would make him regret it in the long run. Despite her happy-go-lucky nature, she was more than capable of doing so.

"Yes… I'll do it… I do have one question America." Before she could stop him he queried, "Why were you asking about East?"

West Germany saw the female country hesitate for barely a millisecond, but it was enough to add to the growing pit of uneasiness in his stomach. Confidently, she laughed, "Oh, I was just curious about you two." With a clap of her hands, Emily began to walk away making it obvious she had been lying.

* * *

*Hemming his pants: I've always envisioned Russia as a very domestic father. He does a number of things traditionally, such as cooking and sewing (England can do it, why can't he). In result, I found the mental scene of having Ivan put a temporary hem on Andrei's pants would be a very paternal thing to do, without it seeming too feminine. Compared to America, who as a mother, is both modern and a pretty tough little lady, she's less likely to have the time to do things in such a domestic fashion. Maybe back in the 1700s and the like, when she had 13 kids instead of 50, but as one can tell, Emily actually doing something a normal mother would do isn't a common occurrence. Mama's home cooking has been a treat to the 50. Now, we'll just see if Andrei will let his father bond with him through the hemming of his pants, later on in the story.

**DC: Yes, Americat got a cameo role in this one. As he doesn't get a name, I wanted to give him one so he could be part of the family. He was meant to actually be named Alfred, Alfie for short, so that canon-America could have some influence in this fic, but I was conflicted over the idea. This story was originally supposed to include both genders of nations, each gender representing the International and Domestic affairs. This would have emphasized Emily's identity as a woman and made it less OoC for her to be on an ok basis with the Soviet Union, as she is in charge of domestic issues. Of course if I had done that, the whole living with the Soviet Union would have been chaotic with all the genderbends. I doubt Anya would've been happy that Ivan was going around sleeping with an American woman.

***Federal Republic of Germany: West and East Germany did not join the UN until 1973. However, West Germany had become "fully sovereign" and was part of NATO by 1955, so by this time Ludwig is starting to regain his authority over the nation. American military presence began in WWII and continues to this day, though the bases aren't exactly there for any specific purpose in Germany.

****Discouraging Visits: After becoming sovereign, the West German government did not want to recognize East Germany as a legal and democratic representation of the German people. The policy went so far as to bar West Germany from having diplomatic relations with anyone who recognized the German Democratic Republic. The Berlin Wall wasn't erected until the early 1960s, around 1963, which means Ludwig and Gilbert still have access to one another, though I doubt their meetings are very relaxing with so much pressure from all sides. This happens a few years after this fic, and lets say that something that happens during the tail end of Emily and Ivan's short marriage bring about the Wall (fictionally that is). West Germany finally recognizes East during the 1970s, as the government begins building relations with East Germany and the Soviet Union.

*****Caution and America: Throughout the Cold War, West Germany tried to make everyone happy. It couldn't do anything that made anyone uneasy, like rearm itself or openly support militaristic additions to its nation most of which were from the US. So it is easy to tell that Ludwig has to take a conservative stance on any offensive show. The Soviet Union was practically living next door.

TBC. Part 2 will have a lot more action and be mostly set in 1958. Following that, there will be more Ivan-Andrei bonding, and Alaska finally gets to learn what type of wife his mother is.

**Preview: (I spent five hours writing Part 2 instead of studying for my midterm! It is almost done.)**

"Shut up, Frog! Do you think this is easy? It wasn't my damn idea to seduce the God-forsaking bastard."

"And yet you are still going to allow this merger to happen, leading the entirety of Europe into another World War. You just can't help but spoil the girl." Gritting her teeth, America suppressed the urge to bust into the room and give the Frenchman a piece of her mind. "Understand this, _Angleterre_. She isn't one of your colonies anymore. This is a nation who believes that she was 'favored' during the two Great Wars and thinks she has the right to tell us what to do with our own nations."

"I'm not… spoiling her. She is an ally, France, if you don't recall." Emily could hear Arthur's voice wavering ever so slightly. She began to worry. "And she isn't the only one who thinks they should be making decisions for other nations."

"We were not trying to challenge your sovereignty, Great Britain." Ludwig noted once more just as politely, cautious around his two other ex-occupiers. Nevertheless, the tone of his words clearly made it apparent whose side he was on. "We are concerned with choosing a side in this issue that concerns solely the United States and the Soviet Union. Do you not think that prioritizing neutrality would be more beneficial?"

"Germany's right, I think." Hearing just another voice, belonging to the Northern Italian who had been conversing with her moments before, America cursed under her breath.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want to tell the British Empire what to do." France mocked, "Let's just watch as he marries America and diverts all of the Soviet Union's onto himself."

"Will you stop going on about it, Francis! I'm not marrying her! I wasn't bloody planning to!"

I love that section of Part 2. Thanks for reading. Remember to review!


	15. Chapter 13 Part 2

**Hello everyone. I hope you all have had amazing holidays. I want to apologize for the delay in updating part two of chapter 13, which ended up becoming so long itself that I had to tweak it to encompass some of chapter 14. I'm sorry for not being active these last couple of months. Lets just say the holiday season has been difficult this passed year. My family lost someone very dear to us and in the wake of such tragedy we were also betrayed by another person all within the span of November and December. With all the drama that has been going on in my life, I was unable to write as much as I wanted. Even now, the chaos that has broken my family up isn't exactly the best energy to write in. Please forgive me for disappearing and for the quality of the next couple of chapters.**

**Thank you for the amazing reviews again. I wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and Happy 2012. Please enjoy the fic and continue leaving comments. **

* * *

**Chapter 13, Part 2(I messed up on last chapter again. We are still on 13 guys, not 14)**

**September 25, 1958**

Whistling a happy tune, the United States strolled down the carpeted hall towards the large dining room where the nations were currently having their hour and a half break in between discussing world issues. Despite spending much of the day arguing over the legitimacy of China's position in the UN, thanks to India, Emily was in good mood*. The earlier debate had shown a clear divide between the Communist East and Free and Democratic West, which gave her confidence in maintaining the support of her allies aside from her unexpected pregnancy. She fingered through the sheets in her hands, all the documents Arthur needed to complete the temporary merger between their two nations. Emily looked forward to the completion of the paperwork and the chance to finally breathe easy knowing she had the United Kingdom as backup.

For the time being, she didn't plan to bring up Alaska until after lunch, choosing to let time fatigue her fellow nations enough so that when she announced her state's father, no one would freak out too much. She had sensed the Soviet Union's cold gaze on her the entire conference trying to get her to say something about it before he did. But America kept to her own agenda; damage control could always come later. It didn't make much sense to her, the man seemed to be in a rush to get people to know about their little bundle of political chaos. He was planning something, which only made the merger that more important.

The absence of her closest allies deterred the blond for a moment as America entered the hall where the world representatives were spending their break. Of the nations currently in the area, England, Canada, France, and even West Germany were nowhere to be seen. Still, she kept the happy expression on her face, gazing around the room, pretending not to search, and throwing the occasional bright greeting in everyone's direction. The four's absence was rather peculiar, Emily had to admit, but she decided to place the suspicions aside and play humble host. It would help her in the long run, if she was to be seen in a positive light when she announced the pregnancy.

"America, America!" The accented call drew her attention away from her thoughts and to the Northern Italian approaching her, tugging his twin brother by the hand after him. Feliciano grinned as oblivious as ever, "How are you?"

Mirroring his energy the American woman smiled in return, "I'm good. How about you, Feli? How're you and your brother doing?"

"Great. Romano, say hello."

With a grunt, the Southern Italian nodded in her direction, "Hello, Emily."

"We just wanted to tell you thanks for being thoughtful and having pasta served for lunch. It's not as tasty as ours back at home, but at least your cooks don't cook like England, right Romano? Did you know that one of them has a father who came all the way from _Firenze_? You have people from everywhere living here." Their host giggled and took the compliment in stride. Feliciano's brother grunted again, eyes falling from her face to her stomach, in all too obvious an action. America tried to ignore it. "We also wanted to congratulate you on the new baby."

"We heard you are having a new state soon?" Romano added on his own accord.

Emily thanked her lucky star that she was talking with the Italian Republic of all nations, who couldn't have noticed her sudden discomfort at the reference. She allowed herself to blush at the compliment, even if she was shocked to hear them talk about the unborn child she wanted to keep secret until later that day. "Thanks guys. Well, I thought I could make it a surprise for everyone." Laughing loudly, America continued to cover her growing anxiety, "That's really funny, but sweet. How'd you guys know?"

"Well, you kinda look bigger." Blatantly honest, Romano motioned to her middle. "And we sensed that something was different with your body."

Feliciano added, "Brother told me, and Spain told him."

Neither Italian caught sight of the woman stiffen, "Spain?"

"_Si_, the _idiota_ learned about it from Francis."

"You must've planned a really bad surprise because I think a lot of people know." Innocently, Feliciano kept on, "Everyone's been talking about it ALL day. During the meeting people were trying to guess how far you were…"

"… and who fathered your state this time." The Southern twin finished.

"They were even placing bets. I think it'll be a lot of fun if you tell us soon." Chuckling, North Italy, rocked on the balls of his feet, "Come by Italia when you have the baby, I don't think we have ever gotten the chance to see an American state so young before."

Hearing the explanation, America suddenly felt self conscious, finally aware of the stares she'd been receiving all day. She couldn't do much but play along, though her eyes made another scan across the room for England and the others. Their absence continued.

"So who is the father, America?" Romano questioned, his tone characteristically angry. Emily didn't hold his words against him, yet she couldn't hide the fact that she hesitated before replying.

"Oh, why don't you guys just guess and I'll tell you if you are right or wrong."

North Italy nodded, wanting to play this game, but Emily swore the smaller nation sensed the pause in her words. As seemingly simple-minded both Italians were, she knew that they were not a threat in a physical sense but understood how to manipulate information if she allowed something to slip. Visiting the two and the US bases that dotted their country frequently had taught her that much. "Is it England?"

"Nope." Came the answer, with another scan of the room in search of said nation.

"What about France?" Romano was quick to throw his prediction.

Emily shook her head and laughed. The brothers would never win the guessing game and she was more than glad that it would turn out that way. It gave her time to continue searching for the missing members of NATO whom she swore had made their way to the dining hall when the break was called.

"Is it Germany? Oh, I mean West Germany?" Shock was written on Feliciano's face at the mere thought of his war-ally actually fathering an American state.

"It isn't that bastard, Spain, is it?" His twin added roughly.

Emily shook her head. They were going to be playing this game forever, but she could care less. Catching sight of one of England's human aids who stood by the far entryway of the hall, she made a mental note to talk to him as soon as her current conversation was over. "No, no. You know Ludwig's been busy just as you guys have been with the recovery and all. And I really don't think Franco is allowing Antonio much freedom in terms of international relations right now. Tell you what, why don't you guys think about it for a bit? I have a few errands to run before the break's up and we can talk then, ok?"

Sighing, America felt a moment of relief when the twins nodded, already drawn into the little game of guessing the woman's baby-daddy. She quickly said her good-byes, waving as she did so, and walked towards the British aid, who, on closer inspection, seemed to be rather uncomfortable standing in a room full of immortal nations. His reaction was another thing to put on her list of unusual observations, but the superpower assured herself that she was reading the atmosphere too much, something she refrained from doing due to the underlying paranoia she felt when she did so.

A slight sensation from her stomach made Emily pause. She took another breath and patted her middle with a small smile. Little Alaska was already starting to move, a good sign for the mother of 48 energetic children and the woman who had had even more pregnancies. She just hoped the little one would continue to provide strong signs that he would still exist after all this drama over his conception went away.

America gave the human another grin and greeted him with the manners she had learned centuries ago as a colony. "Good afternoon. I'm sorry you have to spend lunch with a bunch of countries. It can be a bit uncomfortable." England's aid quickly turned to the approaching host.

"Oh, not at all Ms. America- I mean Ms. Jones." The unrecognizable man answered. His eyes instinctively scanned the approaching country, still awed by the fact that such a young and beautiful woman represented a nation that had existed for more than 200 years. He had met nations before, but he hadn't spoken with the American despite his nation's strong relationship with the blonde. He couldn't help but note that Emily was far more polite than Arthur had described.

"So is everything ok here? I noticed that you are the only aid around. I swear I told everyone to let their aids off the hook today while we had this meeting, but Artie never listens to me. I digress. I don't think I've met you before. You are-?"

"Henry Warren. It's an honor to meet you. I had to deliver a message from the Prime Minister to Sir Kirkland. I will be leaving shortly." If the man knew Emily, he would have long noticed that she was toying with him, acting like a graciously hospitable host to get information that she wanted. Only nations could tell when the American woman did this, and even Emily, herself, didn't realize that New York's own polite-host act was derived from her very own.

"It's fine, Henry. Please, stay as long as you like. If nations don't weird you out then stay and have lunch if you want. There is more than enough." The two smiled at each other, before Emily continued, "So you delivered a message to Arthur did you? I have been wondering where he's been since the meeting adjourned for lunch. Might I ask where he is right now?"

She saw the hesitance in his eyes, but with another bright grin and a gentle pat on the shoulder, his resolve broke down in an instant. America had more than two centuries of practice in using her feminine charm around humans, and as long as no nation was close enough to notice, she was able to get what she wanted. This was why many nations were careful dealing with the woman. In almost half the time most nations learned the trade of power, Emily had learned how to make allies (and enemies) by the use of her gender alone, ensuring her a position as a superpower. "He-He's speaking with West Germany and France at this moment, ma'am. I believe they are in one of the conference rooms down this hallway."

It was almost too easy, getting the information from the Brit. America made herself an optional mental note to speak to her ex-colonizer about his aid's weakness to a couple of touches and words, but went on with the act nonetheless. The seemingly private conversation between three of her allies caught her attention and not in a good way. Restraining a desire to frown, the expectant nation slid her hand across the human's shoulders feeling him melt under her touch. She laughed to herself, "So that's where everyone is. I was getting lonely." Finally removing herself from Warren, Emily nodded and eyed the corridor behind them. "Thank you very much, Henry. I had a few things to discuss with them myself, so I should get going. Help yourself to whatever you like from the dining hall. Enjoy your stay here, even if it is on business." With this, Emily made her graceful exit, a move she had mastered in the 20s.**

In minutes she found her fellow Western countries a few doors down from the dining hall. Catching sound of a pair of arguing voices in one of the smaller committee conference rooms, she was quick to hear both England and France in another of their characteristic disputes. The door to the room closed, Emily hesitated and substituted her normally obnoxious entrance for a silent approach to the source of the voices without making her presence known. Yes, these were her allies she had fought in wars with, but two centuries of being a country had taught her that nothing was true and everything was permitted***, especially when politics were involved.

"Let me guess, _Ingleterre_, because of your special relationship with her, you're just going to allow yourself to be pulled into this mess. Is that right?" There was a hint of disgust in France's voice as he spoke. It was evident even to someone like Emily that he was referring to her in more ways than one. "And most likely, due to your bond with her, you'll end up pulling the rest of Europe with you."

Openly frowning, Emily crossed her arms and continued to listen. She was already aware of Francis' changing demeanor since the election of his new President, De Gaulle. The Frenchman had become increasingly hostile towards her and England, angered by the knowledge that the two were sharing things with each other that the rest of Europe did not get to hear. Francis had always been suave and actually reserved for a representative, but over the past few months he had become distant, stating that he desired to build a unified Europe that didn't need outside forces such as the United States for protection or economic support.

So she chose to help Arthur advance his nuclear weapons program to incorporate missiles that Ivan couldn't reach****, why get angry? England asked for the protection and wasn't afraid to turn to her for the assistance. The old Brit still had his pride, yet they had come to an agreement long before the second World War started that power was something that could be easily lost and gained. Though the man wasn't going to admit it, despite losing his empire, he was proud that Emily of all people had earned the title of new superpower. It wasn't as if Francis wasn't trying to build a power of his own. As much as Emily respected that he wanted to look passed the differences and past conflicts of the European countries to create a unified force that could even rival her family of 48, soon to be 49, she couldn't help but feel that by pushing her away, France was potentially making things harder for himself. As long as the Soviet Union was next door, they would have no choice but to depend on NATO, the only force currently able to unite Western Europe in a common cause, which was under her leadership. Yes, there were the Treaties of Paris and Rome, which had been signed by West Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands already, but the success of such agreements could still be debated*****.

She listened on, England's voice answering with words that summed up her thoughts exactly, "How many bloody times to I have to tell you? If we are going to stabilize Europe, we need to maintain ties with the United States to keep her in check. As much as you want to romanticize your little club, where will you get the resources needed to keep the Soviet Union at bay?"

"I apologize for interrupting, but you may recall that the Treaty of Rome did establish economic ties among the six of us, Arthur." America restrained a gasp, realizing that the new voice was none other than West Germany, who calmly added, his voice making Emily's stomach church with dread, "If you feared economic instability, you were free to join us, Great Britain. However, you did reject the invitation.******" His words weren't exactly her idea of putting the NATO members at ease.

France let out a laugh, "For a good reason too. Isn't that right? You were too busy following _Amerique_ like some dog. Look, the _Republique francaise_ does not have the patience or the benefit to wait for some girl to make decisions on issues that are rightfully our own. Especially now that we know she is still spreading her legs as a form of diplomacy. Was it not Emily who ordered "us" to avoid forming ties with the Soviet Union? And yet here she is pregnant with the spawn of the man."

"Shut up, Frog! Do you think this is easy? It wasn't my damn idea to seduce the God-forsaking bastard."

"And yet you're still going to allow this merger to happen, leading the entirety of Europe into another World War. You just can't help but spoil the girl." Gritting her teeth, America suppressed the urge to bust into the room and give the Frenchman a piece of her mind. Francis was just as skilled offending women as he was getting them to sleep with him. As she recalled, he was one of the many countries who emphasized the importance of sexual diplomacy, their children could vouch. "Understand this, _Ingleterre_. She isn't one of your colonies anymore. This is a nation who believes that she was 'favored' during the two Great Wars and believes she has the right to tell us what to do with our own nations."

"I'm not… spoiling her. She is an ally, France." Emily knew that he was protecting her, but Arthur's voice wavered ever so slightly. The man's weakening tone began to fill her with worry. "I…She isn't the only one who thinks they should be making decisions for other nations."

"We were not trying to challenge your sovereignty, Great Britain." Ludwig noted once more just as politely, cautious around his two ex-occupiers. Nevertheless, his words clearly made it apparent whose side he was on. "We are concerned with choosing a side in this issue that concerns solely the United States and the Soviet Union. Do you not think that prioritizing neutrality would be more beneficial?*******"

Neutrality? This was far from what Emily had told the German to say. She hadn't asked for the entirety of NATO to suddenly go neutral. What about East Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland? What about the maniac who had ten times as many nuclear weapons at his disposal? Who could easily get revenge for centuries of having to sit behind the West? Who could easily force the US down with no allies to turn to? How could playing Switzerland help anyone, except themselves? Clenching her fists, America's anger began to boil.

"Germany has a point. I-I mean, we want to avoid a fight, right?" Hearing just another voice, belonging to the Northern Italian, she had been talking to moments before, Emily cursed under her breath. So this was what was going on through everyone's mind while they tried to "guess" who the father of her newest state was this time. However with the newest voice reaching her ears, another thought came to mind. If the Italies felt this way, how many more had similar views on the issue? Another emotion slid beside her anger, cooling it and weakening it, replacing it with a sudden uncertainty. Who truly supported her cause of getting democracy out there? Who truly wanted the Soviet Union to fall? Who was ready to stand beside her when Ivan decided that this bloodless struggle between them had gone on long enough and his bosses decided to end it all? Who was willing to stand by her now when the very life of her child depended on the loyalty of at least one of her allies? Her clenched fists had come together and were now a picture of tangled fingers as if she was trying to wash away the suspicion, the growing realization that she had made a mistake in depending on Europe to help avoid the wrath of the USSR while she carried his child. Maybe. It was the word that mattered now. Maybe they would help her if she was suddenly attacked by the Soviet Union, but now, when she had a reason to be attacked, no one was going to stand up to actually help her after what she had done for them.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want to tell the British Empire what to do, Italy." France mocked, "Let's just watch as he marries America and diverts all of the Soviet Union's onto himself."

Being reminded of England's promise was a temporary reassurance to the woman. And aside from not being a very religious woman, Emily felt herself praying to any greater power that she could still depend on the old Empire.

"Will you stop going on about it, Francis! Do I have to spell it out to all of you? I'm not marrying her! I wasn't bloody planning to!" A silence followed the Briton's outburst. Even America could have sworn her own heart had stopped pounding in her head and chest. "Since that blasted Soviet decided to come into my nation unannounced, do you think I'd consider going ahead with the merger? I'm not stupid. And remember this, even if I had gone ahead with this suicidal move, it won't stop him from attacking any of you."

Seconds of complete silence followed. The truth sinking in and wedging itself like a knife into Emily's middle. The only sound that could be heard was the footsteps crossing the room. Whoever had moved had approached dangerously close to the door, his quiet voice loud enough even for his southern sister to hear despite the shock of hearing the fate of her unborn child decided by the men she had seen as allies. "Hold on, Arthur. Have you told her about this? Do you know what you've done?"

Francis's voice followed Canada's own, speaking to the North American nation in French out of habit, "_Mathieu, do not be surprised. Not even your superior wanted to get involved with her problems. Is that not right?"_

England sighed, his next statement a mere whisper compared to his earlier declaration. "I… couldn't bring myself to tell her. We were supposed to go over the merger at this very moment, but Macmillan ordered that I allow him to deal with this issue privately with the President. He is speaking with Eisenhower about the United Kingdom's desire to remain…uninvolved."

"But Arthur, the President is going to veto the state." The Canadian said. His voice trailed off with a heavy sigh. "If he does than Emily loses the-"

"I know, Canada, but right now Europe will not sacrifice this fragile peace for an American state. She's lost them… before. She'll just have to understand where her country's priorities lie."

For some reason Emily couldn't breathe. An invisible weight had situated itself on her chest constricting each breath. It felt weird, the wave of some emotion actually making her feel nauseous. Yes, she was a woman and many of her bosses expected a sniveling pile of emotion when first meeting the representation of the United States, but she had long since trained herself to avoid feminine traits when dealing with her duties as a nation. Finding herself responding emotionally to the issue was something she just wasn't used to. She just didn't have the time or the liability to just tell others how she felt about certain events. Half the time she was doing as her bosses ordered, just like every other country before her, during the other half she was protecting and sustaining the states like a good mother should. Emotion didn't have a place in her reaction to a very practical and realistic choice made by her allies.

Returning to the dining hall, America smiled. She could do nothing else. Laughing, grinning, acting as if nothing wrong. If she could convince herself things were going to be ok, she didn't have to worry. The United States wasn't going to lose her friends or alliances. Her children could still sleep well at night knowing that as long as Mama America remained in the good graces of her fellow Western counties, the Soviet Union wasn't going to come crashing into their homes spreading hellish Communism. Arthur was right, Europe was right. Why sacrifice so much for a single state? United we stand, divided we fall, right? The female superpower released a small chuckle, making her appear less than sane.

It was a practical decision made by practical countries. She was the idiot who thought she could get away with committing the sin and avoiding the punishment. So she couldn't find someone to marry her. So what? It wasn't the end of the world. It wasn't the end of the United States. In a few years another little Alaska would come along and she'd choose wisely next time. She'd pick someone more acceptable to father the state, from the West, someone who could stand up to the Soviet Union… if there was anyone like that nowadays. Besides, who knows what the state would end up like having a father like the Ivan? Her kids were eccentric in their own right, but it wouldn't surprise her if the northern child ended up as insane as his sire. No, not getting married was fine. If England knew she could get through another miscarriage without falling apart, he was absolutely right. America could not fall and would not fall because a state's entry into the union was vetoed by her own President.

Emily found herself in the lobby of the United Nations building, the receptionist staring at her with a bit of concern. Weakly waving, America regained enough of her composure to break the human woman's gaze, but with a glance the blonde caught sight of the phone on the check-in desk. Before she could control herself, the nation took it and began to dial. She avoided the receptionist's eyes, who luckily recognized the country and quickly returned to work.

Despite the reassurances, despite the endless excuses, Emily just had to make sure. There could still be time. The President could give her a few more days. She was working on damage control after all. Everyone just needed a night to get used to the idea of an American state fathered by a Communist. Her words flew out of her mouth on their own, sounding more powerful than she felt, "This is Jones. I need to speak to the Ike now."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Jones. Could I get your access code please?" The President's secretary answered politely.

"I'm speaking on a public line. You don't need one." Emily didn't mean to snap, but her tone was difficult to control. "Just give me one of the security questions they gave you during orientation. You memorized them didn't you?"

A pause followed as the secretary took a moment to remember what the caller had referenced. "Oh, I apologize, Ms. Jones. Um… Could you please provide the name of the child born to you on January 29, 1861?"

The weight in Emily's chest hadn't lifted, still making it hard to breathe. The given security question wasn't helping either. Even without a mirror, the American woman knew she getting red in the face. She released a heavy breath, pushing painful memories of similar circumstances out of her head. With a gasp of air, she answered, "Katherine…Katherine Bonnefoy Topeka Jones, also known as Kansas."********

"Thank you, Ms. Jones. I will see if I can connect you."

Emily didn't answer, wanting nothing more than the secretary to do her job and get Eisenhower on the line. Taking a few breaths to calm herself, Emily grinned for the umpteenth time, a defense mechanism that was weakening with every attempt. Holding the phone tightly to her ear, America fingered the coils of the cord and turned away from the receptionist desk. On the opposite wall of the lobby several large clocks depicting the world time zones were hung to help the buildings international occupants keep track of time at all hours of the day. According to New York time, the lunch break was coming to a close and the second half of the day's conference was about to begin.

"Good afternoon Jones. You do realize there is a meeting you should be attending instead of speaking with me, yes?"

"What the hell is going on, Eisenhower?" Once more there was more force behind Emily's statement than in her entire body. "You promised me that you'd let me deal with this issue myself. I never agreed to you deciding on a solution without my input."

She heard the man sigh over the line, "Jones, I don't think you should be discussing this with me right now."

"Oh, and that makes it completely fine for you to discuss it with the damned British Prime Minister?" It was too late to catch herself and keep the anger and pain out of her voice. She ignored the shocked look of the receptionist beside her. "Did you know this was going to happen? Did you know this wasn't going to fucking work out? Arthur assured me that there was going to be a merger. There wasn't supposed be a change in plans."

A hint of impatience was coloring her boss's tone ever so slightly, as if he had already gone over the topic before and had long since resolved the problem at hand, satisfied with his decision. "Yes, according to the Prime Minister, Kirkland did tell you he would look into fulfilling the agreement, but McMillan told me that due to recent events, the United Kingdom has decided to promise nothing. Please, Jones. At this time, I think it would be best that you let this go for now and-"

"And do what? Just sit pretty as every single one of my "fellow" nations chooses to exploit my power, my wealth, my willingness to help them when they won't return the damned favor?"

Another sigh came over the line, the President not holding back. "…and not allow this to ruin your alliances. You have other responsibilities, Jones."

There was only so much a country could do to influence their boss's decisions. Aside from her immortality and inhuman strength, Emily's entire existence depended on the actions made by her people. Eisenhower's explanation only further convinced her that she had lost this battle.

"The Prime Minister and I have dealt with your child's paternity matter ourselves, and you will agree with the resolution whatever it is, am I understood?"

Eisenhower's last question was enough of an answer for Emily. His query sounded more like an order and felt as terrible as a death sentence. Nothing was gray when your superior was a retired General, everything was black and white. There was no way to compromise with the stubborn man. He didn't need to say a thing about vetoing the Alaskan state petition, but she knew it was already done. She was losing her baby within the next 48 hours, the time it took for such a small, yet significant issue to pass through Congress without resistance whatsoever. America didn't recognize her reply as her own, "Yes, Sir."

It was all that she could say. The most powerful country in the world was at the mercy of a single man.

Emily didn't know how she said good-bye, how she hung up, how she got herself all the way back to the conference room wearing a mask of American confidence, convincing everyone, even England and the others that nothing had changed on the woman's agenda. No one in the room noticed that she had gone on autopilot, the American's show of normalcy a mere façade while Emily coped with accepting the upcoming events of the next few days. No one noticed that the usually direct nation never met anyone's eyes or engaged anyone in debate or personal conversation. No one noticed that with each loud obnoxious reaction, America diverted every route of conversation that potentially could lead to her talking about the pregnancy.

Except for the Soviet Union, who was drawn to the woman as soon as she had arrived. Less vocal than his Western rival, Ivan was quick to sense the change in the woman as soon as she entered the room, yelling something incoherent and bossy as she was prone to doing. He watched her from his place at the far end of the room, as far away from her as he could be placed in fear of any physical confrontation between the two. He was used to her hiding things, everyone in the room had their share of secrets, but her body was expressing much more than her usual teasing demeanor. America's gestures were stiff with restraint, making her appear preoccupied with keeping whatever was on her mind from overflowing. She kept doing something odd with her hands, placing them away from view, under the table and maybe in her lap, the Slav wasn't sure. Deciphering his enemy's movements was by far much more entertaining than listening to the same share of arguments.

Smirking to himself, the Soviet Union observed each flaw in the woman's mask, each crack in her defense. With every word, Ivan was growing more and more sure that Emily was avoiding the very announcement he was waiting for. It was a bit of a surprise that she was making it so obvious that she was trying to hide such world-changing news. It offended him greatly. He wasn't going to let the foolish young woman get away without sharing his contribution to her growing nation.

"Excuse my interruption." It never ceased to amuse him how quickly the room froze the instant that he spoke. He really didn't care who he interrupted, it wasn't like they mattered or anything if America gave herself the freedom to have something distract her the way it did. He raised his hand to emphasize his presence and to make his abrupt entry into the conversation more 'polite', which only made others recoil at a sign of his childish insanity. "I notice we are almost out of time for the day. I do not want to rush everyone, but we are all very busy and I think there are a few announcements our host would like to share before everyone leaves today… so please finish soon, da?"

Reassured by the reaction, the Soviet watched with content the speed at which, whoever was talking, concluded his or her issue. Even the NATO countries appeared uncomfortable. He caught sight of Emily abruptly pale, her hands flying to their place under the table again. She avoided eye contact when he glanced in her direction, letting her confidence slip to reveal a raw emotion Ivan had never seen on her face before. If it meant breaking her last defense to see more of the 'glorious' United States lose her composure in front of her allies and enemies, he didn't mind making her squirm.

Sooner than later, the last speaker returned to their seat and the attention fell on the US again for the closing remarks. Looking directly at the woman, Ivan pressured Emily to stand with his gaze, chuckling when she nearly tripped as she stood from her seat. Her face was clean of any feeling but her characteristic positive energy, and with a glance from one side of the room to the other, she began to speak. It was then that the USSR caught sight of where her hands had been falling to the entire meeting, the slight uneven curve of her stomach where their child lay.

"So, I guess I want to thank everyone for coming today. We all have things to do back home, yeah? Um, I hope your lodging and the food and stuff was to everyone's liking. If it was me I'd send everyone home with hamburgers, something my people whipped up recently. It's been really popular so if you haven't tried one you should before you go." She laughed, gaining not much of a response. "Anywhoo. Our bosses are scheduled to hold another official UN meeting in a month or so, so let's remember that whatever we resolved today may as well get effed up tomorrow. Still, we really got a lot of headway this evening so good job everybody."

Suddenly, Emily's eyes fell to Ivan's, making the man stiffen at the unusually open gaze. The raw expression in her eyes was clear as day, despite the smile on her face and the light tone of her words. They begged him, her eyes, begged him for mercy in a way that actually colored him a feeling of guilt. When she looked away, it was too late for him to stop her. "Also, I've heard from a few of you that there's been talk about me having another baby. Yeah, yeah, if you don't know yet, it's better late than never, right? So… um…the rumors about this kid-I mean, the concerns about what "should" be the state of Alaska... well…" America didn't even try to hide the difficulty each word gave her. She chuckled and swallowed, "Well, you guys really don't need to have them… I want everyone to know that my boss has decided that for the time being a new state will not be added to the union. The Alaskan Territory's petition for statehood will be vetoed until a more convenient time… for everyone. So…uh… that's it, you can tell your bosses that and they can sleep well tonight. Good night everyone, have a safe trip home. The United States proposes that this conference is adjourned. All in favor?"

A mix of stunned "Yeahs" came in reply, enough for Emily to simply adjourn the meeting without asking if anyone was against her proposal. Without much more than a glance in Ivan's direction, Emily collected her belongings and headed for the exit, ahead of everyone else. England and Canada were close behind.

**December 29, 2010**

**10:56pm**

"Hold it, hold it!" Raising her hands in the air like a gospel preacher having a revelation, America brought the story to a screeching halt. She pulled herself up and hopped over the couch, grabbing the family cat mid-pounce before the feline went soaring at Russia's scarf which was dangling over the edge of the couch. She straightened and placed the cat in Andrei's lap. "Keep him there, I knew he'd be heading for that scarf, he's been eyeing it since Ivan came in. I'm watching you DC."

Her son held the fat pet in place, though DC seemed obliviously content where he was aside from his failed attempt at attacking the Russian's garment. The boy watched his mother in confusion, having no idea where the interruption came from. Rolling his eyes, Andrei pouted, but before he could speak, he found their foreign guest doing the honors of getting the storyteller back on track. Ivan pulled in his scarf while speaking, "Emily, I don't think this is the best place to stop."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We're not done yet, k? Gosh you guys are so bossy, geez." Maybe it was the next part of the story that made the woman so jumpy. She laughed loudly, "Give me a sec, I gotta take a quick bathroom break. We've been here for hours."

"Mom!" Alaka whined. "You have to go now?" Even Ivan found himself raising his eyebrows at this abrupt break.

Heading for the door from the basement theater, Emily was quick to explain, "Hey, I gave birth to the 50 kids… naturally. Do you know what that does to a woman's bladder? Have some empathy, babe." With this she was gone.

It was only then, in the new silence in the room that Andrei realized that he was once again left alone with his father. For the first time, however, Ivan's attention was elsewhere, gazing around the large basement floor with a calm gaze. Once again, Alaska couldn't read the man's expression as he took in the entertainment room. By the look of the Russian, it seemed that Ivan had gotten bored, or maybe he was tired. He hadn't been quiet during Emily's account, adding a few of his own observations toward the end of her part of the story. Russia had been the one to add that despite his desire to have his Cold War rival break down in the middle of the meeting, he did start feeling guilt. America hadn't stopped the explanation, accepting the other superpower's small confession without many words on her part. Andrei's parents had come to some kind of an agreement and it surprised the state that the two were no longer trying to overtake each other when they reminisced.

The change was nice, yes, but Andrei felt a bit uncomfortable with how serious the story had gotten, how serious his mother had become. Emily's storytelling style was famous for being entertaining and light, but she had actually taken the moment to explain what went through her head after hearing that she was going to lose him. The very fact that he now knew his mother was so close to losing him was terrifying, but it fed his curiosity all the same. How did she end up getting her way in the end? What did she do? More importantly, what did his dad do?

"I'm sorry." Andrei found himself starting a conversation without thinking. His paternal nation's violet eyes fell on him with interest.

"For what?" Ivan returned, already feeling the warmth creeping into his neck at the very idea that his child was trying to talk to him. This was his chance to try creating that bond Emily spoke of, but where would he start?

"For Mom…" Andrei chuckled uncomfortably; it was his turn to refer to his mother while trying to say something to his father, "She's kinda all over the place."

The boy found the Russian laugh in return, in full understanding, "Ah, yes, well I am more than used to it. She is an… interesting woman… your mother. She's never been able to sit in one place for very long, always moving."

"Yeah, but you must be tired. You traveled far didn't you?" The budding dialogue was weak, but it was a start no less. Both father and son were being careful with their words, trying to find the common ground between to begin their 'relationship'.

"Da, but traveling long distances is something I have grown accustomed to...uh… thank you for your concern." Ivan internally cursed his failure at a response, but he was quick to rebound, "I should be asking you the same question. Are you not tired? You have learned quite a bit today."

Alaska laughed again, "Oh yeah, I think my mind's imploded." A look from the Russian made it apparent that Ivan didn't get the impression, "All this stuff is hard to take in. I mean, it must have been really hard for Mom. She never really tells us about states that never… happened, you know? So unless you were there, you just wouldn't know what happened then."

Russia looked at his son in shock. "She doesn't tell you anything?" Ivan had always seen Emily as a very open and easy-going parent, but it seemed even she had secrets she wouldn't share with her own states.

The two had gotten over the first boundary, for Andrei nodded and answered truthfully, "Sometimes, but not always. Most of the time, if I want to know something, I ask Nick and Virginia, or Cal and Big Tim. Mom's busy enough without us asking so many weird questions." Alaska didn't realize that his simple justification enlightened the Slav, who had never heard a state's description about America before. The 49th state found nothing wrong about the things his very own mother withheld from him. It was very different from his reactions earlier that day when he caught his mother not telling him all she knew. "Besides, she doesn't like thinking about the past too much. That's why I was really surprised when she said she'd tell me about all the events around my birth."

"You must not spend much time with her then." Ivan voiced his observation, but moved his head to side when Andrei further explained.

"Not really, but when we all get together; it's pretty nice, especially when it's just the two of us." With every word, the state further opened up, revealing a more amiable personality that reminded Ivan of Emily in more ways than one. Andrei had inherited his father's more reserved demeanor, yet underneath there was still the American warmth that the state had in him as well. "A lot of my brothers and sisters like hogging Mom's attention."

"I assume you don't enjoy that? Competing for your mother's time?"

Andrei shook his head, "Not really, but I live pretty far out there and I am one of the more well-mannered of her kids." There was a hint of pride in Andrei's statement. He grinned, more involved with talking about how he felt than with trying to get to know his father. With such a smile, Ivan saw more of America in the boy than anything. "It's not like my older siblings get to see her more than me. Most of the time it's when the family gets together for a holiday or something. Like Christmas, not New Years though, we plan our own gatherings then. Other than that, Mom comes by mainly for domestic business. She doesn't get much time off."

Nodding, Russia found himself enjoying just listening to his son speak. He had spent decades wondering how Emily raised their child, whether she treated him differently because of his father or if the boy had grown up to be difficult to deal with. It was such a relief that Andrei was like any normal child, other than having lived half a century. There was a satisfied independence about the state that the nation wasn't used to. Compared to speaking with a fellow country, there was no ambition in Alaska's words, merely a simple contentment with his existence. It was difficult to admit it, but Ivan was happy that Emily had been the one who in custody of their son. America had smothered the state, raised the boy in fear, but at least Andrei had grown up away from politics.

"I'm glad you have had a happy life, Andrei." The name felt strange on Ivan's tongue. He smiled, "You are blessed to have a mother like Emily."

Blue meeting violet, it dawned upon Alaska that he wasn't talking to just anybody, but the father he had never spoken to before. The state's concentration broke and he looked away at the compliment. He hadn't noticed himself being drawn by the stranger's calm presence. When his dad wasn't trying, Russia was an unusually peaceful person, awkward, but peaceful all the same. Maybe the notorious ex-Communist wasn't so scary after all. The pre-teen part of his mind wondered if the Russian was just bad at socializing with people. Andrei bobbed his head up and down, "Yeah… I guess."

Ivan frowned, seeing Andrei abruptly pull back into himself and coming in terms with the fact that they were actually carrying a conversation. Was it something he said? Did he do something wrong? Where was his mother when Russia needed her to translate the boy's actions?

As if on cue, America jumped into the room, oblivious at the progress that had been made. "Yo, what I miss? We didn't get to the weird parts yet did we? You guys ok?" The superpower noticed the discomfort between the two males. She sighed, "Well lets just wrap this up, shall we? Sorry for the wait, had a quick conversation with Texas."

Receiving a couple of incoherent mumbles from the father and son duo, Emily returned to her seat and didn't even try asking more. She released another breath and looked to her fellow country before continuing where they left off, "You better help me with this part, big guy. I won't be able to explain what you were thinking when we decided to get hitched."

Ivan cleared his throat, readjusting himself in his seat. He looked to Andrei again, but the boy had returned his attention to his mother, coming back to the source of familiarity that Ivan could not yet provide. "After you."

Emily laughed, but Alaska found her tone dripping with sarcasm, "How thoughtful of you."

* * *

**Author's Notes: I'm sorry there are so many.**

*China's United Nations seat and India: In the 1958 UN meeting (the actual historic one, not this fic), India challenged China's place in the UN. This issue was not new, as the United States, feeling its interests threatened by having two Communist nations in the UN and backing the Republic of China (which was located in Taiwan), also pressured China to be removed from the UN. The US had to stop however when the USSR threatened UN stability if Communist China did not keep its seat. At first the USSR tried to boycott the UN, but it only allowed the US to influence the rest of the Western-oriented nations to create a joint military action against North Korea, because it was not stopped by the Soviet veto. On a tangent, did you know? The Soviet Union practically had three seats in the UN due to both Soviet Republics of Belorussia and Ukraine being allowed to join in as members. The US was offered two extra seats as well, but the 48 states could not come to an agreement on what two states would take part in the UN, so the US decided against it. (Besides, I doubt Mama America would have liked dealing with her children during UN meetings, especially the opinionated ones.)

**20s: I have always seen the roaring 20s as a time when Emily first learned to be the nation that she is today, classy and confident. As this is post-WWI, America was enjoying a period of great development, so Emily developed her diplomatic skills when helping Europe from afar. Prior to this, Emily was more of a homely girl, less likely to leave the country and the states until the turn of the century. The 20s made her more outgoing and in many ways, more likely to hold herself in a fashionable and respectful way when dealing with humans from other countries. If you've ever read or seen _The Great Gatsby_ or _The Fountain Head _(both great books), the way Emily acts around humans is similar to the distant yet hospitable characters of Daisy Buchanan and Dominique Francon. It is only around other countries does Emily show her energetic and youthful nature. Neither of her demeanors boast her super strength as a nation.

***Nothing was true and everything was permitted: If you can tell me where this statement comes from, you deserve a cyber hug! XD Hint: It has nothing to do with politics.

****Strapping British Nukes to American Missiles: In 1958, the US repealed the Nuclear Secrets Act, allowing information about its nuclear program to go to close friends such as the United Kingdom and Canada. By then, the UK had developed its own program, but its method of transporting nukes wasn't exactly fool-proof. To use nukes during the 50s, the UK could only drop them on targets from above. When its newest bomber, the U2, which had been the planned carrier of British nukes, was shot out of the sky by the Soviet Union, the UK turned to its closest ally. Within months, the US offered to strap British nukes to American missiles, so that the bombs could be launched some distance away from the target. Lets just say, being the first Western European power to have to bomb, the UK made the rest of its neighbors very nervous, especially France. Luckily, France would get its own private nuke lesson from the US in the 70s, but the products created were solely French as the US didn't want to be seen aiding other nations with developing more advanced nuclear weapons.

*****Treaties of Paris and Rome: These two Treaties were a couple of the most important agreements that created what we today know as the European Union. Signed in 1951 and 1957/8 respectively, the Treaty of Paris formed the European Coal and Steel Community, in which the nations of the European mainland shared their resources of Steel and Coal. The Treaty of Rome formed a European Economic Community, easing trade barriers and customs duties on items imported and exported between the member nations.

****** Hesitance to join the developing EU: Not wanting to be the nation carrying most of the fiscal for such a fledgling organization, the United Kingdom rejected the invitation to join France and West Germany, as well as other countries in signing the treaties. The British economy was still strong, actively supported by the US, but with its colonies becoming independent one by one, the UK did fear financial issues once American aid and colonial import/export stopped coming in. It did reconsider the invitation into the "European Communities" but French President De Gaulle denied the UK entry, feeling that UK policies matched more with American ideals that European ones.

******* Neutrality in the Cold War: West Germany preferred neutrality over choosing sides during the Cold War, but for the first couple of decades much of German leadership was Pro-American resulting in a very large split with East Germany due to differing ideologies. Ludwig expresses a strong need to avoid conflict, an opinion of his that his country doesn't exactly follow until decades later. Throughout much of the Cold War, Germany was the catalyst to many disagreements between East and West, specifically because the Soviets did not want a Germany that could be armed and potentially stab it in the back again. By the 80s, however, German leadership fell solely to non-aligned leaders from which sprung forth a sudden development of relations between East and West Germany from a neutral perspective, and which would lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

******** Katherine Bonnefoy Topeka Jones (Kansas): This is another reference to Bloody Kansas, a period of time leading to the American Civil War, during which the North and South fought over accepting a state into the Union that would be either a Slave or Free State. You will be hearing more of Bloody Kansas and the birth of Kansas as the fic goes on, specifically because it is an example of what Emily and Ivan both fear in terms of losing Alaska. Several state constitutions from both pro-North and pro-South groups were petitioned during bloody Kansas, all of which were vetoed or denied statehood. This means, Emily miscarried several times over this period. More details will come later in future chapters.

Thank you for reading. I apologize again for the delay.

**Preview: **

"It is the truth then?"

Another laugh fell from the American's lips. She ran a hand through her hair, "What? Do you actually think I was lying to you, Red?" The woman roared with laughter despite not changing Ivan's demeanor. Yet there was no joy in her laugh; it wasn't even a laugh of scorn towards her Cold War enemy. It was merely a sound, frighteningly loud in the silent void of the room. The Soviet Union's frown deepened, still not enraged by her lack of respect. Quietly, he wondered whether or not she could tell that he understood her form of coping with her predicament, expressed so blatantly.

He could have memorized this defense mechanism for future reference. He could have exploited the moment of weakness because their nations were at war. However, he made no move to do so. Instead, he forced himself to forget whatever he was seeing before him. Ivan was the not the type of man who kicked a person when she was down, especially when the person was the mother of his child.

When Emily's laugh finally began to subside and fall apart, the Communist forced himself to look away as her last chuckles gave way to a trembling gasp for air.

**December 29, 2010**

"I wasn't crying. I just want to get that out there."

Sure, America. We believe you. Please stay tuned. And Review! Have a great year everyone!


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